


The Things We Hold Most Dear

by mayday5



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mystery, Plotty, Ruby (Katie Cassidy)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-10-28 11:56:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 44,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10830798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayday5/pseuds/mayday5
Summary: Dean Winchester has it all: Money, security, love. But underneath his exterior is a web of deceit that runs in his family. Castiel has fame as a pianist, and within that, he's built up a wall of security protecting himself from his past. But when the two meet each other, will they be able to overcome their obstacles and give themselves what they want? Destiel AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. Hello. I see you've come to read my story. Thank you. Anyway, I started to post this on ff.net and decided it would be nice to post it here too. This is my first time using ao3, so some stuff might be wonky. I'll be updating every Friday until I run out of pre-written chapters. After that, I can't guarantee when I'll be updating. But I've written 12 chapters so far, so we should be okay. I'd also appreciate it if you left comments telling me if the story is good or not. It would help me improve my writing a lot! Now, onto the story!

    The door to Dean’s bedroom burst open, letting in Dean, and wrapped around him _very_ tightly, a woman. The two of them fell on the bed, the woman straddling him.

    It had taken two drinks at the bar to get the woman, whose name was Millie(or something like that), to talk to him, and a couple more until they were kissing. After that it was easy to convince her to come home with him.

    They were half undressed now, his shirt and her pant off, when Dean’s phone rang. Millie moaned.

    “Ohh, that feels so good. What is that?” The phone buzzed again and Dean sighed, sliding Millie to the side and pulling out the phone.

    “What?” Dean barked, annoyed. “Speak quickly, you’re interrupting my _private_ time.”

    “Dean! First of all, gross. And, second of all, where the hell are you?” Sam hissed. “You were supposed to be here half an hour ago!”

    “Where exactly is ‘here’?” Dean asked, slowly sitting up. Next to him, Millie sighed loudly.

    “The music gala fundraiser!” Sam said. Shit.

    “”That’s tonight?” Dean asked. Sam groaned.

    “Look, I have to go, but get your ass over here right now. We can’t start without you, and Dad and  I can only hold them off with appetizers for so long.” Sam hung up, and Dean wrenched himself out of Millie’s grasp, running to the closet to grab his clothes.

    “Dean.... come on!” Millie complained. In her drunken state, it didn’t seem to register that Dean was leaving.

    “Look, um Millie-.” Dean started.

    “Maisie...” She corrected.

    “Uh, Maisie. I have to go. You’re welcome to spend the night here if you want, but I gotta go. Call my butler if you need anything.” WIth that, he raced out of the door, pulling his dress jacket on.

* * *

 

    It took Dean 10 minutes to arrive at the gala site. He, Sam and his father were hosting a fundraiser to raise money for the local school music program. It was no secret that the Winchesters were the richest people in town thanks to their multi-million dollar car company, and John Winchester encouraged his sons to help their town whenever they could.

    “Sammy!” Dean called. Sam whirled around, giving Dean his classic bitch-face, before turning back to the person he was talking. Dean walked up to the two people.

    “And this is my brother, Dean.” Sam stated, gesturing at Dean. “Dean, this is Chuck Shurley.” Sam looked at Dean pointedly.

    _Am I supposed to know this guy?_ Dean asked Sam silently.

    _Oh, I am going to murder you tonight._ Sam gave Dean a death glare and then cleared his throat.

    “Well, Mr. Shurley, now that my brother’s here, we can start the concert.” Chuck grinned.

    “Great!” He turned to Dean. “You know, I’ve always loved music.” He looked around before telling Dean. “I even taught myself how to play the guitar.” He smiled, as if it was some kind of joke. Dean cleared his throat.

    “That’s, uh, great. Anyway, I should go join my brother in, uh, starting the concert. Enjoy the show.” He said, before hurrying off. That had been awkward. Then again, small talk just wasn’t his forte. Give him someone to flirt and seduce and he was good, but everyday conversation just wasn’t his thing. That was probably why his relationships never lasted past one night.

    “Hey. So, who was that guy?” Dean asked, jogging to catch up with Sam.

    “Chuck Shurley, head of an instrument rental company downtown. He’s our biggest donor, and if he’s happy and likes  the gala and decides to donate, so will everyone else.” Sam said, heading into the theater.

    “Well, he seemed way too happy for a guy wearing a 4-piece suit.”

    “Yeah, Dean, it’s called formal wear. Something you have yet to learn how to do.” Sam remarked, glancing down at Dean’s black t-shirt and jeans.

    “Hey, this is as formal as I get! I’m even wearing a fucking suit jacket and dress shoes. God, I feel too overdressed.” Dean said. Sam rolled his eyes.

    “Whatever, drama queen. Our seats are up in the box if you want to go sit. I’m going to let Dad know we’re ready to start.” Sam said, and headed back stage. Dean went up into the box, watching people file into the auditorium and perusing through the program. It was a bunch of classical music crap that he didn’t care about, sonatas and waltzes and preludes with performers he didn’t even recognize, though Sam had insisted that they were some of the best in their field.

    Sam slid into the seat next to him as the light dimmed and the curtain swung open. Their father was standing up front, and made a welcoming speech.

    “Good evening everyone! I hope you have all enjoyed your evening so far. We thank you most sincerely for coming here today to support our....” Dean zoned out, tapping Sam on the shoulder.

    “Sam. Sam. Sam!”

    “What, Dean?”

    “How long do you think the program will take?”

    “Why?”

    “Because I’m hungry and I want dinner.”

    “I don’t know, Dean.”

    “But I want to know.”

    “Dude, are you drunk?”

    “Only slightly.” Dean said. Sam shook his head and turned his attention back to the stage.

    “...and without further ado, I would like to welcome Castiel Novak, playing Polonaise, Opus 53, by Chopin!”

    There was a loud uproar from the crowd below, as they whooped and cheered. Even Sam was in shock.

    “Oh my god, I had no idea he was even coming!” Sam said, gaping.

    “Am I supposed to know _this_ dude?” Dean asked.

    “Castiel Novak is _the_ best pianist, period. I mean, he keeps to himself mostly, not much about him is known to the public. But he’s really good. He came to the US on a scholarship to a music school from Russia, and then he just, slowly started gaining fame, I guess. But seriously, I don’t even know how Dad managed to book him for our concert! He’s like, legend” Sam gushed excitedly.

    “Well, okay then, Uber-Nerd.” Dean remarked, but Sam shushed him, turning his head towards the stage.

    Dean studied Castiel. He couldn’t tell much from his view, but Dean could see dark, ruffled hair. Castiel sat down at the piano, and the crowd fell silent instantly. There was a tense silence in the air, and then he started playing.

    Dean loved rock music. Nothing would ever top that. But even he had to admit that this piece was interesting, in the least.

    But what was more interesting than the piece was Castiel. He seemed to be in a world of his own, where only he and the music existed. His long, elegant fingers glided across the keys, practically flying, and his body swayed in time with the music. Normally, this would have been something that Dean would have poked fun at, but he was too enraptured by the pianist to care. He sat at the edge of his seat, absorbing the music. At the end of the piece, Dean didn’t hesitate to stand up and clap with the same fervor as everyone else.

Castiel bowed, smiling, and then suddenly, his gaze shifted to Dean. They locked eyes, and Dean stared into Castiel’s electric blue irises.They were alert and intense, boring into Dean’s green eyes. The gaze sent shivers down his spine, but Dean shook it off immediately. _You give people the shivers. People don’t_ _give shivers to_ ** _you_** _,_ he scolded himself. But honestly, the shiver felt good. Castiel averted his gaze once more, smiling and bowing more before walking off the stage.

Sam elbowed him. “Dude. You were totally into this piece.” He grinned at Dean.

“I-No, I was not.” Dean said stubbornly.

“So, that overly-enthusiastic clapping at the end was just formalities?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, I was being nice.” Dean said. “I’m not some classical music-loving, peace-making hippie like you. I prefer my rock, thanks.” Dean said. And it was true, somewhat. He still didn’t like classical music. It was just that one piece. And that one performer…

The rest of the concert passed by in a blur, the pieces overlapping with one another until Dean couldn’t remember how many songs he had listened to. The only one that stood out to him was the first one, and after that, he had alternated between dozing off and annoying Sam.

Finally, Sam and Dean joined their father up on the stage to give closing remarks. “Once again, I thank all of you for coming here tonight to listen to these wonderful musicians play.” There was a scattering of polite applause. “We are still counting the final numbers, but we have raised over 50,000 dollars for our music programs in local schools. I can assure, this money will be put to good use.” More applause. “We would like to invite you to stay for dinner, which will be served in the main ballroom. Once again, thank you all and have a wonderful night.” The crowd hastily applauded and then scampered off to the main ballroom for dinner.

“Well, that was a success. What’s for dinner?” Dean asked.

* * *

 

The majority of the crowd had finally dispersed to their own homes, and only a select few people were left, including the musicians. People were milling around, lounging and talking to each other. Dean had been observing Castiel all throughout dinner, and had learned quite a few facts about him.

  1. He was short. Well, he was taller than average people, reaching 5’11, but short compared to him and Sam.
  2. He had the deepest and most beautiful voice Dean had ever heard. It was low and gravelly, and some part of him wondered how it would sound in bed, moaning Dean’s name.
  3. His eyes were a piercing blue. He had seen people with blue eyes before, but Castiel’s were clearer and brighter, and he could see the color in them from miles away.
  4. His hair was dark and ruffled, like he had just gotten out of bed, and it looked so damn sexy.



    Dean had also come to a very important decision. By the end of the night, he wanted Castiel in his bed. His catchphrase? If someone’s hot, go for it. And that was exactly what he would do.

* * *

 

It had been a long night for Castiel. Make no mistake, he was always happy to perform. But coming here had brought back certain memories that he didn’t want to relive. He so desperately wanted to leave, but he was stopped again and again by people who wanted to talk to him. It was horrible, being famous, no matter how spoiled he sounded saying that. He would much rather stay at home, composing and playing his music to himself. But he supposed if he wanted to keep performing, he would have to deal with all the extra paraphernalia.

As he made his way towards the exit, he was stopped once more by John Winchester. Castiel sighed. “Hello, Mr. Winchester.” He said, trying to sound at least a little happy.

“Hello, Castiel. I just wanted to thank you again for coming out and playing for us today before you left. You were the single reason why we raised more money than I needed. I mean, what I expected to raise.”

“Oh, no problem, sir. It’s my pleasure to come and give back to the community. After all, it was a program like this that launched my career..” He replied politely.

“Please, Castiel, call me John. After all we’ve done for each other, I should think that we’re on a first name basis.” John replied.

“Of course.” Just then, another man  walked up to John, saving Castiel from further conversation.

“Hey, dad.” Dad. One look into the man’s playful green eyes and Castiel knew who it was. The same person who had caught his eye in the auditorium. Dean Winchester.

Castiel had never been one to support the rich kids, the privileged ones who lived their lives in luxury and never knew a day’s worth of hard work. Not like he did. So, naturally, he had hated Dean Winchester since the moment their eyes met. His brother Sam wasn’t half bad, since being the legal representation for Winchester Motors had probably required some legitimacy, but Dean was the kind that threw everything to the wind and partied, just waiting until his father retired to get the company handed to him, wasting his time in drinks and pleasure.

“Dean. Perfect timing.” John Winchester turned to Castiel. “Castiel, met my son Dean Winchester. I-” He suddenly grabbed his phone from his pocket and glanced at it. “Well.” John said, looking back up. “It appears there’s some emergency needing my attention. If you’ll excuse me, boys, I just need to check this out.” He glanced pointedly at Dean on his way out, as if saying _Don’t you dare mess this up, leave a good impression on Castiel, you dumbass._

Dean smirked, turning to Castiel. Now was a perfect time to put his plan into action. “So, Cas. Can I call you that? Cas? Castiel seems too formal.” Castiel’s reaction wasn’t what Dean expected it to be.

“You can cut the act, Winchester.” He said in a low, unrestricted voice, completely different from how he had been talking with Dean’s father. He glared up at Dean.

Dean was taken aback. “Wha- I didn’t do anything!” He protested, matching Castiel’s glare evenly.

“You didn’t have to. I already know your intentions.”

“Oh, really? What am I trying to do, then?” Dean shot back, and then grimaced. That wasn’t the best of comebacks, but then again, he had been caught off guard. He didn’t expect Castiel to retaliate. The Winchester Charm almost never failed.

“If you’re trying to get laid, try going to a club. They’ll be plenty of people there willing.” Castiel said calmly.

“What, you don’t swing that way?”

“I never said that. I’m just not looking for a meaningless one night stand with a jerk.” Castiel told him. “Anyway, if that’s all you’ve got. I’ll be going now.” He walked away, leaving Dean shocked. No one ever did that to him. Ever.

He was still wearing a shocked face when Sam walked over. “What, your ‘genius plan’ didn’t work?” He teased. “I thought the Winchester Charm _always_ worked.”

“Shut up, bitch.” Dean said bitterly.

“Jerk.” Sam replied habitually. He patted his brother on his shoulder consolingly, but Dean barely acknowledged the gesture. In his mind, he was planning all the ways he could get Castiel to hook up with him. Dean wasn’t a quitter, and no matter how long it would take, Castiel would be his.

* * *

 

John Winchester stepped out into the alley. He knew it would be risky to be out here, anyone could exit the building at any moment. But it was now or never.

“John Winchester.” said a familiar voice with a distinct British accent. “I didn’t think you’d show.”

“Well lucky for you, Crowley, I’m not a lying, cheating, scumbag who breaks half of their deals.” John snarled. Crowley merely smiled, stepping out from the shadows.

“Now, now, John, you give me too much credit. I break _all_ of my deals, not just half of them. But good for you, you’ve caught on, at least.” Crowley remarked dryly. “Now, let’s go over our deal, shall we? I save your pitiful little company for ten years, provide for you monetary needs and well being, and in return…” Crowley prompted.

“I give you the money.” John stated.

“And Dean, lest you forget.” Crowley reminded him. John swallowed.

“Yes, and Dean.” He agreed. “For whatever you want to do with him.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So... I kind of realized that if I wanted to get this story up to date before I post the most recent chapter, I have to update the story more often. I decided to do it every two days. So here's chapter 2. And also, thanks to everyone who commented and left kudos. I appreciate it!

Dean woke up to the incessant beep of an alarm. He fumbled around on his nightstand for the snooze button, knocking down a few beer bottles in the process. Slowly he opened his eyes and checked the time. 8:46.

He sat up suddenly, remembering some mention of a meeting at 9:00, but then immediately groaned. His head was pounding and aching, and then Dean remembered the bottles. He must have drunk a lot last night to grace himself with a semi-proper hangover. It took a lot to get Dean drunk these days, with his high tolerance level.

"Fuck." He groaned, stumbling out of his bed, searching for a suit to wear to the meeting. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." He winced as he got ready.

8 minutes later, he was ready to leave, grabbing food from their kitchen, cooked by their personal chef, and then heading out the door to his Impala. Of course, Dean could always have someone drive him, but he'd prefer to arrive in style, and he didn't trust anyone else with driving his baby, apart from occasionally Sam.

Dean jumped into the driver's seat, speeding to the Winchester Motors building. Taking care to park his Impala, he ran through the doors and past security. One perk of being the CEO's handsome son: everyone knew your face on sight. Dean burst through the doors of one of the meeting rooms at precisely 9:00 AM.

"I'm here." He breathed, trying not to sound like he had been running a marathon. Sam was already there of course, sitting on his father's left side near the head of the table. He waltzed into the seat at his father's right. John glared at him, but he couldn't say anything, not when Dean had been on time. Dean smiled, looked into each person's eye at the table, daring them to say something to him. They didn't of course.

Finally his father stood up, clearing his throat, and Dean took that as his sign to zone out. He studied the faces at the table, his father's board of supervisors, the ones who had been there from the start for him when John had first started the company. They were old faces, the same people at every meeting. Nobody new ever was added, though, some people were kicked out.

There were 10 supervisors in total. Sam and Dean were added to the board when they had come of age. Three of the remaining supervisors were close to the Winchester family, but the others, well Dean didn't really care about. First and foremost was Bobby Singer, a man who looked more comfortable in flannel and jeans than a suit. He was a gruff but kind man, and looked like he belonged actually working with the cars, although he was very intelligent. Bobby was John's right hand man, and John trusted him with everything about the company. Then there was Ellen Harvelle, and strong, independent woman, who worked the publicity department, getting their name out there. The last person that mattered was Charlie Bradbury, a young, vibrant girl who was in charge of the tech department. Although John had no ties to her specifically, she was like a sister to Sam and Dean.

The door opened, startling Dean. He looked up to see a man striding through the door.

"I hope I'm not too late, Mr. Winchester." The man said. He had a British accent and a roguish smile, and he looked at John directly in the eye. Dean glanced at his father's face and saw something on it that he couldn't identify. The emotion was quickly hidden, though, and John smiled and held out his hand to shake.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Crowley. He will be joining us in lieu of Mr. Singer, who has chosen to retire from Winchester Motors. Although we will all be disappointed to see you leave, Bobby, we will all welcome Mr. Crowley with open arms."

Dean glanced at Sam. _Dude, who the hell is this?_

 _Do I look like I know?_ Sam glanced back at Dean

 _Bobby's leaving, and this guy is taking his place!? I thought maybe Dad would have told you about it, since he trusts you more anyway._ Dean shot back.

 _Well, he didn't bother telling me anything._ Sam sighed and got up, looking at his phone. It was 10:00 already, and he had places to be.

* * *

Sam drove up to the mansion. It was like he expected it to be. Not a modern, classy house like theirs, but old and built from stone, moss curling up the side of the house. Sam parked his car in the driveway, and wondered if he was early for the appointment. Her car wasn't in the driveway…

He stepped up to the grand wooden double doors, and knocked twice. There was a brief pause, and the door swung open. Sam quickly stepped inside, shutting the door. He walked into the parlor where he knew she would be waiting; she always waited there for him, every week.

"I see you managed to show up on time." A voice called from the corner, Sam whirled around, but relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Ruby. Why'd you call?" He asked. "Are there any new developments?" Ruby smiled, gesturing for Sam to sit down.

"What if I called because I just wanted to see you?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Then I'm leaving, unless you have some real information for me." Sam replied.

"Relax. I've got the info. Sit down." She said, putting her hand on Sam's shoulder. "Okay, so, did you notice anything different this morning with you father?" She asked, him, crossing her legs.

"Better." He answered. "He added a new member to the board. His name was Crowley. That's all my father said. He just introduced him as Mr. Crowley. No first name."

"That because he doesn't have one." Ruby said. "He walked right to us." She mumbled. She was flipping through the papers in her hand quickly. Ruby never really showed any nerves, but this was as close as she got.

"What? Do you know him?" Sam asked. Ruby shoved a paper at him.

"Is this him?" She asked. Sam nodded, studying the picture. He was in an alley, wearing a suit and tie, his hands in his pockets. In front of him, there was another, taller man that looked suspiciously like…

"Is that my dad?" Sam asked. Ruby didn't reply.

"Crowley is his street name. Real name's Fergus MacLeod. He has a lot of resources and is willing to make deals to get whatever he wants. He has quite a notorious reputation." Ruby filled him in.

"Is that my dad?" Sam asked again. Ruby sighed.

"Your dad's mixed up with the wrong people, you know that. If it comes time, you might have to kill him in order to take out our target."

"I'm not going to let my dad get hurt." Sam replied firmly.

"Sam, listen to me. This is a war. There are side casualties, and I need to know if you're able to function at full capacity. If not we can find someone else that can do your job better." She told him bluntly.

"Okay." He said, getting up to leave.

"And Sam?" Ruby called. Sam turned around. "Don't let your brother know."

* * *

After Sam had rushed off, Dean went to talk sense into Bobby. He found Bobby in the parking lot, next to his car.

"You resigned." Dean told him, though it was more of a question.

"Yes, I resigned." Bobby said. "What 'bout it?"

"Why? I thought you were happy there. You can't just resign, Bobby."

"I just couldn't work there anymore." Bobby shrugged.

"Why? Was it something that happened? I can get you your job back if you want, just tell me what happened."

Bobby sighed. "I don't want my job back, Dean, I quit." He looked at Dean. "You're a fine man, Dean… but your father can be downright infuriatin' sometimes." Dean chuckled.

"Yeah, like I don't know." He said.

"I mean, lately he's been distant. He's not talkin' to me about things anymore. And then out of the blue, he tells me to resign, says it's for my own good."

"Wait, he _told_ you to resign?" Dean said. "That-"

"Dean." Bobby warned. "It's fine. I was just 'bout to quit myself anyways. Your father's tough, but he usually talks to me about the company at least. Lately though, he hasn't been telling me anythin'. There's been money missing from the accounts, and whenever I approached him about it, he brushed me off. I've had enough anyways."

"The company's gonna fail without you Bobby. I don't like the new guy. What was his name? Crowley?" Bobby shook his head.

"I don't either, but there's not much we can do about it, son." He patted Dean on the shoulder, and got into his car. "Tell that brother of yours I said hi, alright?" Bobby shut the door and drove off.

"Son of a bitch." Dean muttered. Why had his father done this? He needed a drink.

* * *

Sam drove up to the Winchester Motors building once more. He noticed that the Impala wasn't parked in its spot. Good, that was one less thing to worry about. He entered the building and made his way towards Charlie's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" She called. Sam entered, ducking his head under the door frame.

"Hey Charlie." He said, sitting down across from her.

"Sam. What do you want? You never come to me unless you want something from me." She said

Sam stared at her.

"...and talk to me and watch movie marathons with me?" She sighed, looking at him. "Okay, you do come visit me, I've just always wanted to say that."

Sam shrugged. "Okay. So, what's up?"

"Nothing much. Just you know, working." She said.

Sam grabbed her desktop and turned it around, revealing the Moondoor site. "Seriously?" He asked. Charlie shrugged defensively.

"I'm bored, okay? The only thing people need my help for is computer maintenance. I mean, seriously. Some people don't charge their computers and then come crying to me. I need some challenge!" Sam smiled.

"I think I have just the assignment for you, then."

"What could be so hard as to possibly challenge my skills?" She asked laughingly.

"Your skills. I need you to hack my dad's accounts?' Charlie frowned at him.

"Is this authorized by your dad?" She asked.

"D'you think?"

"Sorry, stupid question. What I mean, is are you doing anything illegal? Are you sure we're not going to get into trouble if I do this?" She rephrased.

"Charlie, I just need you to trust me." Sam told her, looking her in the eye.

Charlie sighed. "Okay. But, um, it might take me some time, because, not to brag, but I am pretty good at my job." Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. So much." He said. Sam stood up, walking out of Charlie's office. "Just send me an email when you've got something."

"No probs." She called back. "Anything for a friend." Sam smiled once more and walked out of the office. Thank god she had agreed. Sam picked up his phone, dialing Ruby.

"Hey." She picked up on the first ring. "You got anything?"

"Yeah." He replied. "I…" He continued talking and walked out of the building, completely unaware of a pair of eyes watching him leave.

* * *

It was night, and Dean was drinking. Not that he didn't drink every night, but this night was special, because he was actually and properly drunk, and he was at a club.

Naturally, that was the perfect setup for disaster.

The music was obnoxiously loud, and it was the bad kind too. Not the kind that he liked. Still, he made his way onto the dance floor.

There were bodies everywhere, slick and sweaty. Everyone was touching, shoving, bumping, and suddenly, Dean was annoyed. He wanted to yell at them to shut up and stop dancing, when, from across the dance floor, a pair of blue eyes popped out at him.

What was he doing here? Dean shoved his way through the crowds, breaking up pairs of dancers to confirm his suspicions. And he was right. It was Cas.

For the record, Cas was more incoherent than him. He seemed to be alone, and was slouching against the wall, struggling to stand up.

"Woah, there." Dean grabbed Cas just as he was about to fall. "Easy." He led Cas over to a table and they plopped down together. Cas rubbed his eyes and groaned.

"My head hurts."

"Yeah, dude, that's what happens if you drink too much." Dean remarked.

Cas looked up at him and frowned. "Do I know you?" Dean opened his mouth, about to answer yes, but then realized that if Cas knew who he was, he would probably leave.

"No." He answered.

Castiel shook his head. "No. I remember those eyes. Pretty, like emeralds." He stated. "I don't think I like you." Shit. Dean looked at a way to get him to stay, but Cas fell back down into the seat on his own accord.

"I don't think we've met before." Dean stated quickly before Cas made another attempt to leave. Cas shrugged.

"Okay. But then how do you know me?" He asked.

"I saw one of your concerts." Dean replied. Castiel sighed.

"Right. I'm famous. Whoopee." Cas said sarcastically, waving his hands in the air. Dean chuckled.

"What, fame not good enough for ya?" He asked.

"I don't wanna be famous. I just want to go back to my home." Castiel rubbed his eyes again. "I want my family again." Dean looked at him.

"Your family?" He asked. "What do you mean?" But it was too late. Cas was slumped forward on the table, sleeping. Dean sighed. When you were drunk, you spoke your mind… which meant that Cas actually hated him. He had some work to do if he wanted Cas. But it didn't matter, because none of them would remember this the next day.

"Hey!" He called to the bartender. "Can I have another drink?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! So, this one is longer than the others, but most of it is flashbacks. Enjoy!

Castiel groaned when he woke up. He was back in his hotel room, but he had no idea how he had got there. The last thing he remembered….was the phone call. After that, he had no idea what had happened.

Cas grabbed his phone to check the date. August 25th. Only two more days in this god-forsaken town, and he was leaving.

It was ironic, really, because he had originally come here for a vacation. Lawrence was a relatively small town, and he had wanted a break from the paparazzi. He hadn’t thought that the Winchesters would still be living here, and he definitely didn’t count on being asked to perform. It wasn’t like he could say no, though. He was sour and reclusive, but he wasn’t a jerk.

Castiel slipped back into his bed. It was way too early to think about this. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t slip back into sleep. His mind was kept awake, buzzing with thoughts. He had a choice to make, tomorrow. His orchestra wasn’t scheduled to perform until December...which meant he still had time to take up Gabriel’s offer. The contents of their conversation from the previous day came rushing to his mind.

_You need to come home. He’s sick  He’s dying. Please._

He had sworn to himself that he would never go back there again. They had kicked him out, and his father had made it very clear that he wasn’t welcome anymore. Still....

_He’s holding on for you, Cassie. He wants to apologize but you know he’s too stubborn to call you himself. Come back for us at least, if not for him._

He didn’t know what to do, and he wished that he had someone to talk to about it. He just wished he wasn’t all alone sometimes.

Cas closed his eyes and was immediately assaulted by an image of green eyes. Of all the things he remembered from last night… What were the chances that they had both ended up at the same bar? He just hoped he hadn’t done anything stupid.

Cas didn’t like Dean, but it wasn’t just because he was rich. After all, this wasn’t the first time they had met. But he was pretty sure that Dean didn’t remember the first time they had met.

* * *

_Lawrence, Kansas, 10 years ago_

_It was a strange town. But then again, America was a strange place. Cas didn’t think that he would ever get used to the hustle and bustle of the cities in this new, foreign county. Back in his home in Russia, he had lived in a small neighborhood. It was safe, and it was home, but this was his home now._

_It was a warm night, compared to the weather back home, and he chuckled when he saw people wear their coats, rushing through the streets to the warmth of their homes. If his brothers were here, they would laugh right along with._

_Glowing lights ahead signaled the arrival of shops and people. He was getting well into the town now, and he considered turning back to go to his ramshackle apartment._

_Just then, yelling erupted from the alleyway. Castiel quickly hid behind the corner and considered his options. He could run away, but then the people in the alley would hear that there was someone there. He could also go in and see what was happening. Usually in Russia, when street brawls would happen, he would just walk past them, taking no notice, but he didn’t know how things worked here in America._

_Before Cas could react, a body fell in front of him with a thud. Cas jumped backwards with shock, hitting his head on the wall. The body began to stir at the noise, and the person slowly sat up, regaining their senses. Rapid footsteps approached and a boy emerged out of the alley. He had several cuts on his face, and his fist was bloody, but the boy seemed to take none of this in mind as he grabbed the other boy from off the floor, holding him by the collar._

_“You stay away from my brother, you understand? Or else next time, you won’t be able to run away.” He demanded. He let go of the person, and the scrambled to their feet and ran away. The boy dusted his hands on his pants, smirking in satisfaction at his work. It was then that he realized Cas was standing there, pressing himself into the wall, hoping to be ignored._

_“You didn’t see anything.” The boy said to him, feeling his face for cuts and bruises. Cas opened his mouth to retort, but it came out meekly._

_“Ac-actually, I saw you threaten that boy.” Cas pointed out._

_“Well then, you either shut up and don’t tell anyone about this, or you come with me.” The boy told him, walking back into the alley. Castiel peeked in and saw two prone figures on the ground._

_“Why? Do you need help hiding the bodies?” Cas surprised himself with the somewhat humorous retort._

_“Nah, they’re not dead. They’ll wake up in a couple hours with a hell of a headache and several injuries, though.” They stared at each other for a few seconds, and then the boy burst into laughter. He held out his hand for Castiel to shake, and Cas took it._

_“I”m Dean Winchester. I’ve lived here all my life, but I’ve never seen you around town, so what’s the deal?”_

_“My name’s Castiel Novak, but you can call me Cas. And you’re right, I just moved here.” Cas told him._

_“Cool. From where?” Dean asked, walking out of the alley._

_“Russia .” Cas told him. Dean stared at him._

_“And you just moved here?” Dean asked._

_“...yeah.”_

_“Dude, you speak English almost perfectly!” Dean exclaimed. Cas shrugged, embarrassed._

_“I mean, my dad taught me how to speak English. He was from America.”_

_“Awesome.” He suddenly stopped, as if taking in Castiel’s form for the first time._

_“You’re hurt.” Dean said. Cas laughed weakly, rubbing his torn knees._

_“Yeah, so are you.” Cas pointed out._

_“Why don’t you come over to my house, and we can get fixed up.” Dean offered. And that was how Castiel ended up at the Winchester Estate in his first week in America._

_“Your house is very nice.” Cas said, as he looked at the grand entrance hall. Dean shrugged._

_“I guess, but sometimes it feels too big for my family. It’s only my dad, my younger brother,and me.”_

_“Your mom-” Cas started._

_“Died when I was young.”_

_“I’m sorry.” Cas said, because he didn't know what else to say._

_“It’s fine.” Dean replied. They went into Dean’s bathroom (which was larger than Cas’s whole apartment.) and cleaned up their injuries._

_“By the way, how did you get into that fight anyway?” Cas asked Dean. He grinned widely, and for the next hour, recounted vividly how “those jerks” had stolen from his younger brother, Sam, and how he had given them what they deserved._

_“You’re really close to your brother, huh?” Cas observed._

_“Yeah. I would do anything for that little runt.” Dean told him. Castiel felt a pang in his heart. He missed his brothers so much, and he only wished that they could come here with him. Dean took note of Cas’s expression._

_“What happened? Did I say something wrong?” Cas blinked._

_“No, I’m fine.” He cleared his throat, checking his phone for the time. “Anyway, it’s late. I should get going.” Cas said. Dean nodded, walking him to the door._

_“Hey Cas.” Dean called, holding his wrist to prevent him from leaving. Cas turned around._

_“Yeah?” He asked._

_“Can I have your number?” He asked, then promptly blushed, realizing how that sounded. “I mean, as a friend, so that we can keep it touch.”_

_Cas smiled. “Sure.” He grabbed a pen from his pocket, and scrawled it onto Dean’s hand. “Goodbye, Dean.” He said. Dean watched with a smile until Cas walked out of his sight._

* * *

 Castiel sighed at the memory. Dean had been his first real friend when he had moved here, and he had almost become something more.

All Cas had wanted was to get away from his past, but it seemed to be edging closer everyday.

                                   ………………………………………………………….

When he was finally able to get out of bed without falling to the ground, Cas went to the coffee shop. He walked through the doors and was immediately greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Cas sighed and stood in the long line to order his coffee. Surprisingly, though, the line moved quickly.

“What can I get you today?” The peppy barista asked. She had a wide smile and sparkling eyes, as if she looked genuinely happy to be serving irritable people coffee.

“Dark, black coffee. Keep it simple.” Cas ordered, not bothering to look at the menu. The barista, whose name was Meg, smiled.

“You seem to know the menu very well.” She remarked, coming back to talk to him after delivering the order.

“Yeah, I used to come here often.”

“Why’d you stop, then?”

“I moved out of town. I’m back here for a visit, though, and I thought I’d stop by.” She nodded.

“Oh, well, then when are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Any plans to where you’re going afterwards?” Meg questioned. Cas stopped. He still hadn’t made a decision.

“I don’t know actually.” He paused. “My brother invited me back to his house, but I’m not sure if I want to go there. But if I don’t, I’ll have nowhere to go after I leave here. No purpose.” He confessed. Meg looked at him curiously. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I told you that.” He apologized. She laughed.

“No, it’s fine. I’ve been told that I have that effect on people.”

“Nonetheless, I shouldn’t be unburdening my problems onto you.” Cas said.

“I’m studying Human Psychology at the local college, you know. I can help you if you let me. So why don’t you sit down and tell me about everything? My shift’s done at 1.” She offered. Cas considered the offer briefly. She was offering to talk to him, and it wasn’t like he had anything else to do. He was leaving town tonight after all, so there would be no permanent bond, no need to follow up.

“Sure.” He said at last. “Where at?” Meg grinned.

“Why not here?” She offered. He smiled.

“My name’s Cas, by the way. Cas Milton.” He told her, offering his mother’s maiden name. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized.

“Well, nice meeting you, Cas. I’ll see you later.” She smiled at him walked away to help other customers.

It only occurred to him afterwards that she had asked him out on a date.

* * *

 There were only a couple situations where Dean was nervous. He was a confident person, but if his dad called him into his office, his knees went weak by default. It wasn’t his fault, really. It was ingrained into his brain that visits to his dad’s office were bad.

Dean knocked on the door and stood outside patiently.

“Come in.” The stern voice demanded. Dean took a breath to steady himself and went in.

“You called, Dad?” He asked. His father looked up at him.

“Dean. Please sit down.” Dean took a seat in front of his father’s desk.

“Why did you call me?” Dean asked again.

“I was feeling guilty. I always talk to you about my day, but I never ask about yours.”

“Cut the crap out, Dad. We both know you don’t care about how I’m doing.” Dean told him bluntly. John eyes immediately shot up to meet his son’s.

“Fine, then. I’ll get to the point. Do you remember what I told you 10 years ago?” He asked his son.

“I don’t know, you said a lot of things. Was it that you’re proud of me? Oh, wait, that was from a movie. Let’s see it was called ‘Real Dads Who Give A Fuck About Their Children’.”

“I made a deal with you,” John said, ignoring his son. “That I would be able to choose who you married and when.” An uneasy feeling grew in Dean’s stomach. He was starting to remember, fragments of memories floating into his mind, barely perceived because of his apprehension. “And I’ve made my decision. Your wedding will be in four months. No negotiation.”

* * *

  _Dean and Cas had been meeting up for a while now. They had instantly hit off the day they met, and every time they met afterwards had been filled with the same fun as the first._

_Cas wasn’t like all the other people Dean hung out with, the loud, obnoxious, rich kind that drove around town in their cars, blasting their music loudly from the speakers._

_He was shy and quiet, but once you got to know him, he was funny and kind, and unlike anyone he had ever met._

_At first, they had always met up outside or at Dean’s house, but one day, Dean decided he wanted to go visit Cas’s house. It wasn’t hard to follow Castiel home after one of their meet-ups and memorize his address. Needless to say, when Dean stood over Castiel’s bed the next morning, Cas wasn’t happy._

_Dean sat on a chair opposite Castiel’s bed and watched him. His hair was even messier when he was sleeping, skewed in all different angles. Dean reached out a hand to smooth Castiel’s hair, but then retracted it. It probably was too early in their relationship to be touching his hair. Wait, relationship? They were just friends._

_Cas turned on his side, facing Dean, and slowly stretched. The cover fell off of Cas’s shoulders and Dean saw that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. And hot damn. Underneath the dirty trenchcoat and layers of clothing, Cas had some muscle. Unfortunately for Dean, his admiring time was cut short when Cas opened his eyes._

_“Dean! What the hell?” He yelled, and sat up quickly, pulling the covers up around him._

_“Hi.” Dean said meekly._

_“How- What are you doing here? It’s 8 in the morning.”_

_“I was bored and I wanted some company.”_

_“How did you even get in?’” Cas asked, but then shook his head. He already knew the answer. “You know, it’s one thing to pick the lock of your house’s movie theater, and another to break into my house.” Cas said crossly, getting up out of the bed. Dean watched him as he walked over to the bathroom wearing just his boxers._

_“Sorry?” Dean offered._

_“My ass.” Castiel muttered, stepping into the bathroom. A minute later, he came back out, wearing a just a t-shirt over his boxers. Dean followed Castiel into the kitchen. “Coffee?” Cas asked Dean, filling up his own cup._

_“Sure.” Dean replied. He grabbed the cup, and they sat down at the table. Dean looked around, surveying the room. It was small, connected to Cas’s living room. There was a piano tucked into the corner, surrounded by stacks of papers._

_“You have a piano?” Dean asked Castiel. He shrugged._

_“Yeah. I play piano.”_

_“When did you learn?” Cas chuckled._

_“Since I was young. My grandmother had an old piano at her house, and I used to love going there to play. I mean, that’s why I came here. To pursue a degree in music. I got accepted into the local music program here, but I applied to Juilliard and some other colleges over on the East Coast.”_

_“Juilliard, huh? That’s pretty far away.” Dean remarked, but Castiel knew what he was implying._

_“Dean, don’t worry. I’ll still keep in touch with you. And besides, I don’t even know if I’ve gotten in yet.” Castiel reassured him._

_“Hey Cas, can you play something for me?” Dean suddenly asked. Castiel shrugged._

_“Sure.” He said. Castiel walked over to the piano and slid open its lid. He adjusted the bench, placed his hands on the piano, and began to play._

_Dean was wonderstruck. It was a short piece, but amazing nonetheless, and Cas’s fingers ghosted over the keys, moving rapidly up and down the piano._

_“Awesome.” Dean exhaled after Castiel had finished. Cas rubbed his neck sheepishly._

_“It wasn’t even that hard of a piece. I’m sure I could teach you to play it.” He informed Dean._

_“Then teach me.” Dean said. Castiel patted the space on the bench beside him. The bench was only made for one person, though, so Dean could feel Cas’s bare legs touching his._

_“Well,” Cas cleared his throat. “You start by putting your hand here.” He said, placing his hand on the piano._

_“Here?” Dean asked, placing his hand next to Castiel’s so that they were touching. In the moment of silence that followed, Dean could swear he heard a spark pass between the two hands. Cas and Dean looked up at each other at the same time, blue eyes meeting green._

_“Dean, I-” Cas started._

_“Don’t.” Dean whispered softly. Their heads started to slowly move together, drawn by some invisible force, until Dean could almost taste Cas’s lips. He moved closer and-_

_The door burst open, and Dean and Castiel whipped their heads apart to look at the door. There, in the doorway, stood a very angry John Winchester._

_“Dean, come with me.” His tone left no room for argument. His eyes were aflame, and bored into Dean. Shakily Dean got up and followed his father out the door._ I’ll call you later, _Dean tried to mouth, but he didn’t know if Cas had seen him or not._

_The whole ride home, his father was silent, which only made Dean’s fear worse. The longer the explosion was held in, the worse it would be._

_Upon entering the house, his father all but grabbed him by the jacket and led him to his study. As soon as the door closed, Dean braced himself for the outburst, but it never came._

_“Sit down, Dean.” Dean swallowed, but did as he was told. Yelling, he could have dealt with. The calm anger and disappointment was worse._

_“Dad, I can explain-” Dean started, but his father cut him off with a single look._

_“Stay away from that boy, Dean.” His father said. “I promise this is for your own good. You stay away from that boy.”_

_“Why?” Dean finally asked._

_“I need you to make me a promise. Sleep with whoever you want, have a fling with whoever you want, date and break up with whoever you want. But I need you to promise me that you’ll never get attached, alright? Because when it comes time, I am going to choose who you get married to and when you get married. Do you promise me this?” Dean looked into his father’s eyes. Although John was using a light tone, Dean knew that he had no choice._

_“I promise.” He said. His father gave an approving smile._

_“Good. You’ll know you made the right choice when you look back at it, Dean.” Dean nodded slowly and walked out of his father’s office._

* * *

_Eventually, Dean had to meet Cas. It was at his favorite coffee shop in town, and Dean spotted Cas as soon as he arrived._

_“Hey. What happened with your dad?” Castiel asked as soon as Dean had sat down. “Dean?” He repeated when Dean didn’t answer. Finally, Dean looked up at Castiel._

_“We can’t have this.” Dean said bluntly._

_“What?” Cas asked, bewildered._

_“You and me. We can’t do this.”_

_“Dean, if this is because of something your dad said-”_

_“It’s not.” Dean interrupted. “We can’t do this.” Dean repeated._

_“Dean, just wait. We can work this out. We can keep it a secret from your father, if that’s what you’re worried about. No one else has to know.”_

_“That’s not what this is about. I can’t be with you, Cas.” So close. Dean was so close to making him believe._

_“No.” Cas shook his head vehemently, searching Dean’s face for a sign that it was all a joke. “You’re lying. Why are you lying? Don’t do this to yourself, Dean, we can figure it out.”_

_“Don’t you get it, Cas?” Dean’s voice shook. “This isn’t about_ _us_ _. There is no ‘us’. This is about me not wanting to be with you.” Dean started to rise from the table, but Cas grabbed his arm._

_“Don’t touch me!” Dean half-yelled, wrenching his arm from Cas’s grasp. “You disgust me, Castiel. Get out of my life.” And Dean saw it break. The last fragile hope in Cas’s eyes, the hope that it could all be fixed. Dean saw it crack in half and disintegrate, saw the tender blue eyes harden up to prevent the tears from flowing out. With that last sentence, Dean saw all hope of convincing Cas it was all a ruse to fool his father gone.  And the only thing Dean could think to do then was to turn around and walk away from it all._

_Dean found his way to a club. It was the perfect place to hide out. He slipped into a seat, looking at the selection of drinks behind the bar._

_“Hey hottie, what can I get ya?” She asked smirking. Dean looked up at the woman. Her hair was messily done up in a bun, her eyeliner smudged. Dark red lipstick was plastered onto her lips, and her shirt hung low on her chest._

_“Whatever will make me forget.” Dean finally answered.  The woman smiled sexily._

_“Oh, honey, I can help with that. I’ll make sure that none of this stays in your head the next day.” She held out her hand to him. Dean stared into her eyes. They were a normal brown, nothing like Cas’s beautiful blue eyes. He needed to forget those eyes._

_“Take me away. Make me forget it all.” He said. And she laughed a musical laughter, guiding him out of the club and to her apartment where he spent the night pleasuring his burdens away._

_Elsewhere, Castiel was in his apartment. He had almost believed that Dean was lying. Almost. But then…._

_Get out of my life._

_It echoed in his head like a chant, accompanied by Dean’s face, twisted in loathing and disgust._

_He read over the email once more._

 

Dear Castiel Novak,

We are pleased to announce to you that you have been accepted into The Juilliard School….

 

_He knew where he was going now._


	4. Chapter 4

“What do you expect me to do?” Sam yelled. “I asked my friend to hack into my dad’s account and she’s not done yet. There’s nothing I can do while I wait!” Ruby crossed her arms impatiently.

“Ask around! Talk to the people on his board. You said he fired someone? Talk to him! Hell, talk to your dad if that’s what it’s at.” Ruby replied.

“I can’t approach my dad about this! What would I say? ‘Hey Dad, I wondered if you’re involved in any illegal business lately, I just wanted to make sure you aren’t killing yourself.” Sam snorted in disbelief. “I’m doing, what I can, okay?”

Ruby narrowed her eyes. “I don’t think you understand how serious this is. You. Need. To kill. Crowley.” She said, poking his chest with every word. “If you fail, your dad dies.”

“Yeah, and if I don’t fail? My dad’ll be a criminal, and he’ll still be killed by the _very_ same organization that I’m working for! His blood will be on _my_ hands.”

“Look, Sam, I’ll find a way to convince my superiors to spare your dad, if that’s what’s holding you back. But you need to find a way to eliminate Crowley. We don’t know when your dad’s deal is up. For all you know, Crowley could kill your dad today! I mean, he’s already putting some of the requirements of the deal into effect. He’s weaseled his way into the heart of your company. He’s right there, Sam! How hard is it now to kill him?”

“I can’t just knife him on my way to work. I have to make it look like an accident! I’ve never planned a murder before, and I have to do it without getting caught. I could be charged with first-degree murder!”

Ruby laughed in disbelief. “Really? You’re getting cold feet now? Maybe my supervisors were right. I should have asked someone else who could actually go through with it.”

“You know, you’re always mentioning these ‘supervisors’ of yours, but I’ve never actually seen them. How do I know that you’re not lying, and that this isn’t all just some- some elaborate revenge plot?” Sam sputtered.

“Fine. You want proof? I’ll show you.” Ruby threw open the front doors. “Follow me.”

* * *

Castiel was acting like a teenage boy. He flipped through his suitcase for what seemed like the 100th time, trying to find something suitable to wear, all while trying not to mess up the neatly folded clothes. He had packed his suitcase early so he could leave the next morning. To where, he didn’t know, but any place besides Lawrence would do.

Finally, Cas decided on an outfit. It wasn’t a date, after all. They were just talking. He walked back to the coffee shop again, and saw Meg waiting outside for him.

“Hey Cas.” She waved at him. “Ready to go?”

“Go? I thought we were eating here.”

“Nope. They don’t have a very good lunch selection, to be honest. I thought we’d go out.”

“Go out...where?”

“It’s a surprise.” Meg said. She walked towards her car. “Are you coming?” Castiel blinked.

“Uh, of course.” He finally replied. Castiel climbed into the passenger seat. “So, where exactly are we going?” He asked, looking down at his clothes. Meg laughed.

“Nowhere fancy, I promise. Just to the Roadhouse.”

“The Roadhouse?” Castiel asked.

“You’ve never been there?” Meg looked at him in disbelief. “I can’t believe you.”

“Well, in my defense, I was only in this town for a short amount of time. I never got to visit many well known places.” Meg simply shook her head in response.

“This,” She said, pulling up in front of a small and cozy diner. “Is the Roadhouse, home of the best food on Earth.” They walked inside together and took a seat in a booth.

“You said you studied Human Psychology?” Cas brought up after they had ordered.

“Yeah. I’ll probably end up working in some psychiatric ward as a shrink or something.”

“You don’t sound too happy about that.”

“Well, I was always good at gauging emotions. My parents said it was almost like I could go inside someone’s body and see what they were feeling and thinking. So when I was fresh out of high school, I enrolled in college to become a psychiatrist. But enough about me, what about you? That’s we came here for, isn’t it? To talk about you and your brother.” Meg prompted.

Castiel sighed. “Where do I start?”

“The beginning. Where did the problem start?”

He cleared his throat. “When I was younger, my grandmother had a piano in her house. Whenever my family when to visit her, she would play pieces for us, and she taught me how to play as well. None of my brothers and sister had any interest in playing, and my parents both disapproved of my grandmother teaching me. But I still loved to play. Eventually, when I was older, my grandmother died, and my music education ceased. I mean, my grandmother hadn’t been teaching me. She’d been unable to play for years because of her arthritis, but I’d play pieces for her. But when she died, my parents sold her house and all of her possessions for extra money. I decided to come here, to Lawrence to continue learning, so I took all the money that I saved and moved here. But my parents, especially my father, was very unhappy about it. He wanted me to stay home and help out with the family business. He told me that if I left, I would never be welcome back again. That was 10 years ago. But, uh, recently, my brother called, saying that my father was dying and that I should come back home so that I could talk to him before he left. And I don’t know whether to go back or not.” Castiel finished. He looked up at Meg, her eyes boring intensely into his. She took his hand and held it.

“Look, Cas. I’m no one to judge, but _just go back_. There’s nothing like family, and the last thing you want is for your dad to die and then think for the rest of your life that you were a failure to him, because it’s not true. Death brings out emotions in people that they didn’t even know they had. Maybe he’ll accept you back. Just visit him, Cas.” Meg told him.

“It’s not that simple. You don’t know my father. If he kicks me out of our home, our heaven… I will never be welcome back.”

“Cas, you said your brother was calling. By your description, I’m sure that he wouldn’t call unless it’s an emergency.”

“I haven’t even talked to him since I left. I don’t know about my family anymore. I don’t know about anything anymore!” Castiel buried his face in his hands. Meg grabbed them gently and pulled them away from his face.

“Hey. It’s okay. We’ve all been there before.” She said, and then kissed him and abruptly pulled away. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” Meg said.

“You know this can’t go anywhere, right?” Castiel told her. Meg nodded, looking down.

“I know, I know, you’re leaving tomorrow, but that’s why I did it. Because if I embarrassed myself or if you rejected me, nothing would happen because you’re not staying.”

“What if I said that I liked it?” Cas suggested. Meg looked up at him, surprised..

“I didn’t plan that far, but, I guess I could do this…” She leaned forward, pulling Castiel’s head towards her.

Cas closed his eyes, but they flitted open once he realized what he had seen. It couldn’t be. He pulled away from Meg and stood up.

“I’m sorry. I have to go.” He took out his wallet and slapped money on the table. “Here, take this.” With that, he hurried out of the store, leaving Meg staring after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! So, I know this was a pretty short chapter, but as a gift, I have also posted the next one. Thanks to everyone who commented and keep reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the second part. Sorry for any typos in the story so far. I still haven't gotten around to editing it. But anyway, enjoy this chapter and please leave any comments you have! It helps me know how I'm doing as a writer.

Dean was sitting on his bed, staring at the ceiling. After John had told him about his plans, Dean had come back to the house and locked himself into his room. It was ridiculous and childish, he knew, but he was still angry at his father, and angry at himself for forgetting. How could he have forgotten Cas? No wonder Castiel had been so disgusted by him when they had first met. The things he had done-

"Mr. Winchester." There was a knock on the door. It was his butler, some weird old dude. Dean had always found the guy creepy, and the murder mysteries that he read when he was younger saying that "the butler did it" didn't help. "Mr. Winchester." He repeated. "There's someone here to see you."

"Send them up!" He yelled through the door, and sat up, running his hand through his hair. Who would come to see him now? It was the middle of the day, and it wasn't like he had any friends that would be visiting.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway and the door burst open. Standing at the door frame was an unfamiliar man. He had slicked back, dirty blonde hair and a scowl that didn't seem to suit his features. The man strode in quickly, taking only two steps to close the distance and then punched Dean in the face.

If Dean was expecting the punch, he wouldn't have flown back into his bed like a weak-kneed baby. The man grabbed Dean by the shirt and prepared to punch him again, but Dean wrenched himself from the man's grasp.

"Who the hell are you, and what gives you the right to come in here and punch me?" He asked furiously. The man smirked.

"I'm Gabriel, and Castiel gives me the right." He reared back again and hit Dean squarely in the jaw.

"Sir," His butler began tentatively. "Would you like me to call the guards to escort this man out?" Dean shook his head, staring Gabriel down.

"No. Just close the door and leave." He said. His butler frowned but did as he was told.

"Yeah, son of a bitch knows he's done wrong!" Gabriel called out to the butler as the door shut. Dean fell onto the bed, rubbing his jaw.

"It's been 10 years. Why now?" Dean asked. Gabriel lounged on a chair, tossing the clothes that once occupied it to the side.

"Well, for one, I just arrived here, and two, I wasn't about to take your help without making sure you were sorry first." Gabriel explained.

"Taking my help with what? And who are you?"

"I'm Gabriel." He answered.

"Yeah, no shit. I mean, how do you know Cas?"

"I'm his brother."

Dean snorted. "The same brother that stood by while your father kicked Cas out of the house? I doubt he wants to see you now."

"Says the person who left my brother heartbroken. And for the record, that brother was Michael. I was in Cambodia then."

"Well, then, why are you asking me for help? We're done. I don't know anything about his life anymore." Dean told him. Gabriel grinned conspiratorially.

"Well, Dean, I know something about Cas that you don't. And seeing as you're the last person who was ever close to him, I was hoping you would know where he is." Dean sighed.

"I don't." He said bluntly. Gabriel shook his head.

"Man, I have never met a worse liar in my life. You know where he is, and you'd better tell me."

Dean sighed, defeated. "He's here. In Lawrence."

"You mean he never moved?"

"No, he did. But he came back earlier this week."

"Did you two talk?" Silence. "You did!" Gabriel exclaimed. "And you did tell him what an _idiot_ you were and how sorry you are, right?" Gabriel asked.

"Well…" Dean started.

"Don't tell me." Gabriel sighed disappointedly.

"I forgot about him. I forgot that I met him. It was almost like the memory was erased from my mind." Dean said softly. "But it doesn't matter anyway, because even if I did remember him, I wouldn't tell him that. There's nothing between us anymore. And there never was back then either. We were just friends, and then he left."

"Just friends." Gabriel snorted. He stood up and opened the door.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked quickly. As much as he loathed Gabriel's presence, this was his chance to apologize to Cas and he wasn't going to throw it in the wind..

"To eat. I'm hungry." He announced, walking out the door. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, yeah." Dean gave in, following Gabriel. They walked out the door and into the hall.

"Hey, Alfrid." Dean called to his butler, who seemingly materialized out of thin air.

"Yes, sir?" Alfrid replied.

"Do you know where Sam is?" He asked. Alfrid shook his head.

"I'm sorry, sir, I haven't seen him."

"If you do, let me know. I need to talk to him."

"Of course, sir." Alfrid replied, and promptly disappeared. Gabriel chuckled.

"Look at that, your own personal search dog."

"Shut up." Dean replied.

* * *

Sam was seriously regretting his outburst. Ruby was now staring ahead at the road, her hands clutched on the steering wheel of the car she had hotwired. It was scary, being around an angry Ruby, because he didn't know when she would blow. She had been sitting quietly the whole drive, although Sam had tried to pry some information about where they were going out of her.

Finally, Ruby pulled up next to a large brick building. Sam had tried to observe the way that they had come from, hoping to come back later without Ruby, but the whole area was a mash of broken stores and abandoned warehouses. Ruby opened the door of the car. Sam started to get out too, but she stopped him with a glare.

"Stay here and don't come out until I tell you to. I have to ask if you can come in and see the base of operations." Sam sighed.

"Is there anything you can tell me?" He asked. "Or is this all a top-secret operation that I'm just a pawn in?"

"What do you want me to tell you? I can't give you anything until you have the proper clearance."

"Forget the clearance! Can't you at least tell me who I'm working for?" Sam asked, desperate for some bit of information, no matter how insignificant. Ruby stared at him for a second.

"We all work for someone named Lilith. She's the head of this whole operation." Ruby told him, then shut the door, walking into the building. After a moment of waiting, Sam crept out of the car and followed. No way he was going to stay there and wait.

He followed Ruby through a solitary door slapped onto the side of the building, making sure to stay a good distance away. When he stepped into the building, he froze on the spot from awe.

All the walls in the one-floor building had been knocked down, leaving a wide open space. In the corner, there was a small cubicle, the only space with privacy. The rest of the place was filled with rows of computers, with people sitting in front of them, typing away furiously. The only light from the room came from a large screen at the front with a map of the US covered in little dots on it.

Sam watched Ruby skirt around the dark corners and towards the cubicle. Sam followed, praying that no one would notice him, but luckily, everyone was too absorbed in whatever work they were doing on the computers to notice. Ruby stepped inside the cubicle, and Sam hid in the corner next to it. The walls were thin, so if he strained his ears, he could hear what Ruby and who he presumed to be Lilith talking.

"He wants to know." Ruby said.

"Can't you try to avoid it?" Lilith asked.

"I did. But he wants to know what the purpose of it all is. He won't move on without a reason."

"And you say Crowley is in his vicinity?"

"Working at his company, yes."

"Then if telling him the truth is what it takes, I'll tell him."

"What? If he finds out, he's going to leave us!"

"I won't tell him the whole truth. Only enough to satisfy him."

"But…" Ruby started. Sam suddenly realized that Ruby would come to the car soon, and raced back around the room to the exit. He slowly pushed open the door and closed it so that it wouldn't make a sound, then jogged back into the car. He was just in time, luckily, because Ruby walked out right after he closed the car door. She stalked over to the car angrily and yanked the door open.

"So, uh, what's the verdict?" He asked.

Ruby slammed the door shut angrily and started the car. Sam frowned. Wasn't she going to take him inside to see Lilith?

"Ruby?" He asked tentatively.

"Lilith is busy right now, but she wants to see you later. I'm supposed to bring you here tomorrow." Ruby replied without looking at him.

"So why are you so mad about that?" He asked.

"What? I'm not mad."

"I'd have to be blind to not see how angry you are."

"It's none of your business!" She said cuttingly. They sat in silence for the rest of the ride, and Sam pondered the information that he had heard. Finally, they reached the moss-covered mansion again. Ruby parked in the driveway and glared at him, so Sam took it as his signal to leave. As he got out, Ruby grabbed his wrist.

"Meet me here at 4 tomorrow. Don't be late." She let go of him and drove off. Sam sighed, and got into his car, driving towards the Winchester Mansion. His phone started to ring; it was from Charlie. Quickly, he picked it up.

"Hey, Charlie. What's up."

"Well, it took some time to crack my genius code, but I got in. I can send the deets to you if you want." Sam laughed in shock.

"Wow, it's been less than a day. That's amazing, Charlie. Thanks."

"No problem. You'd do the same for me. Anyway, I just sent it to you, so just check your inbox, 'kay?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Buh-bye." She hung up. Sam raced back to his house. He needed to know if Ruby was telling the truth.

* * *

Dean insisted that they take his car. Not the one manufactured by his father's company, the one that he had to drive around for advertising purposes. After all, it would look bad if the heir to the company wasn't driving the company's car. No, they were going to take his first ever car. His precious baby, a '67 Chevy Impala, a car of extreme beauty. Of course, that meant that Gabriel had to be the one driving, but it was nice to be back in his car again.

Gabriel pulled up at the Roadhouse, and Dean immediately balked. He hadn't been here since after Cas left. Both Ellen and Jo had chastised him when he left Cas, and he hadn't visited the Roadhouse since.

"Do we have to go _here_?" Dean asked.

"Hey, I'm the guest here. I get to pick. Plus, Yelp recommended this place." Gabriel stated, climbing out of the car and walking up to the restaurant. Dean rolled his eyes.

"You're serious relying on-" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who was sitting in the booth by the window. It was Cas. And another woman. And they were kissing. And Cas smiled.

A wave of jealousy rose up in Dean, but he quickly pushed it down. He shouldn't care who Cas was with. He had already had his chance with Cas, and he had thrown it to the wind.

"Looks like we found my brother." Gabriel remarked, looking at Dean.

"Yeah." Dean managed to croak out. _I shouldn't care, I shouldn't care, I shouldn't care,_ he chanted in his mind. Cas leaned in again, a dopey smile on his face. Dean remembered when that smile had been directed to him, when they were sitting next to each other, laughing their asses off. God, he hadn't even gotten the chance to kiss Cas, and here this woman was, making him smile and receiving a kiss from him. Cas looked up through the window and did a double take. He stared, but not at Dean. He was staring at Gabriel, Dean realized, and he was grateful because that meant Cas couldn't see him. He could still leave.

Cas doled out money to the woman and hurried out towards them with an attentive expression. Dean wanted to move. He really did. But somehow, his feet were glued in placed, his limbs frozen out of fear and apprehension. Cas opened the door slowly and stared at Gabriel in disbelief.

"Gabriel? What- What are you doing here? How'd you get all the way here, and with-" He broke off when he saw who was standing next to Gabriel.

"Dean." His voice changed and wavered, tried to stay impassive. It had been there before too, the hurt and pain, but Dean hadn't noticed until now, when he was aware of what he had done.

* * *

Sam quickly logged onto his email. It was sitting there, at the top of a heap of unread emails. He clicked on the link to download the file and waited impatiently, drumming his fingers.

* * *

"What is he doing here?" Cas demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Cassie, long time no see, huh?" Gabriel said to his brother.

"I mean it, Gabriel." Cas said. Gabriel shrugged.

"Alright, but maybe we should go somewhere more private to talk. Let's go to my hotel room." Cas stared at his brother, then followed him towards the Impala. Dean mindlessly walked behind them, not even minding when he was forced to sit in the backseat.

* * *

Sam scanned all the folders quickly with his eyes, chuckling. His dad had labeled everything. He clicked on a folder with the name Crowley.

There were several pdf's of legal documents in the folder, but the thing that caught his eye was another folder with Dean's name on it. What did Dean have to do with his father's deal with Crowley?

* * *

"You need to come home." Gabriel said once they all sat down.

"No." Cas replied unblinkingly.

"Oh come on, just give him a chance. It's been ten years! How long are you gonna hold this grudge?"

"How long will it take for him to forgive me and apologize. If he does, tell me. I'll be glad to come home then."

"Why are you so stubborn. You won't _ever_ give in. First Dad, then Dean-"

"Don't you dare bring Dean into this! Why do you even care, Gabriel. I'm over him!"

"Oh, please, anyone spending five minutes with you can see that you still have feelings for him!"

"Guys, you know I'm still here, right?" Dean said.

"Shut up." They both replied. "And anyway, he clearly doesn't care either." Cas continued.

"You can't seriously think that!"

"He came up to me at my concert and completely forgot about me! He acted like I never existed, and all of a sudden you want me to forgive him?"

* * *

Sam threaded his fingers through his hair. This couldn't be happening. He read through the screenshot of the email again, from Crowley to his father. It was the contents of their deal, laid out clearly. Sam glanced at it again, his eyes focusing on the last bullet point.

_And finally, Dean shall be married to Bela Talbot._

It confused him. Why would Crowley want Dean to be married to Bela Talbot, a famous model? How would he orchestrate the marriage and get both Dean and Bela to agree?

He read his father's reply.

_Mr. Crowley, I am not sure how to convince my son to marry Bela. According to my close friends, he already seems to be in a relationship with someone._

And then Crowley's answer.

_Leave it to me, Mr. Winchester. Just make sure he comes to this club._

There was an image attached, but it was trivial compared to the next two messages.

_What will you do to him?_

_Drug him to make sure he forgets that other woman._

* * *

"Look, Cas, you gotta talk to him sometime. You can't just keep avoiding home. Every star must return to their roots." Gabriel told him.

"I'm not coming, Gabriel, and that's final. I can't go back there." Cas said decisively, standing up. Dean watched the whole scene as if it were a movie.

"Then I'm sorry for this." He said, before punching Cas to knock him out. Dean stared at Gabriel in horror.

"Why did you punch him?"

"If he isn't coming home, then I'm going to take him there by force." He said, laying Cas on the bed. "Oh, and by the way, you should pack your bags too. You're coming with us to Russia."


	6. Chapter 6

**Previously...**

" _Look, Cas, you gotta talk to him sometime. You can't just keep avoiding home. Every star must return to their roots." Gabriel told him._

" _I'm not coming, Gabriel, and that's final. I can't go back there." Cas said decisively, standing up. Dean watched the whole scene as if it were a movie._

" _Then I'm sorry for this." He said, before punching Cas to knock him out. Dean stared at Gabriel in horror._

" _Why'd you punch him?"_

" _If he isn't coming home, then I'm going to take him there by force." He said, laying Cas on the bed. "Oh, and by the way, you should pack your bags too. You're coming with us to Russia."_

* * *

Dean wasn't sure if he had heard Gabriel correctly. "What?" He asked.

"I want you to come with us." Gabriel said.

"I can't. I can't just drop everything and leave. I have a life here!" Dean complained.

"What, drinking and going clubbing? At least in Russia, there's vodka." Gabriel pointed out. Dean shut his mouth, having no good comeback. "And I also need you to lie for me." Gabriel added, starting to pack a bag.

"About what?"

"Well, the only reason my parents let me travel the world instead of helping out with our father's failing business is because I've convinced them that I have my own, successful company. Except... I don't."

"So where do I come in?"

"You're the heir to a rich company. You can lie for me and pretend that we're in a partnership."

"Once again, why me? There are numerous other rich people out there that you could have asked."

"Yes, but we're friends."

"Fri- what? No! I just met you. I'm not lying to your family about having a fake company, and I'm not coming to Russia with you and Cas. This is a family matter. Don't pull me into this!"

"If you're not doing this for me, do it for Cas. You owe him this."

"You can't keep pulling the 'Cas Card' on me, Gabriel. Yes, I owe him, but not like this."

"Oh, come on, don't make this harder for me."

"Make what harder?"

"My plan."

"Plan?" Dean asked.

Gabriel rubbed his forehead. "Oh, fuck it." He said, and then punched Dean, knocking him out cold.

* * *

Sam immediately called Ruby. She picked up on the second ring. "What?" She asked, annoyed. "We just-."

"I found out the details about my dad's deal with Crowley." Sam blurted out. There was silence on the other line. "Ruby?"

"I'm driving over to your house right now. Stay right there, pull up the evidence." She promptly hung up. Sam looked over the conditions of his father's deal with Crowley once again.

_In exchange for the prosperity of Winchester Motors Inc. for 10 years, these following conditions must be met:_

_I must be installed as the co-head of Winchester Motors Inc in 10 years time_

_A deposit of 500,000 dollars must be paid before the conditions are enacted_

_And finally, Dean shall be married to Bela Talbot_

His father hadn't even questioned Crowley's orders about Dean marrying Bela. Only asked how he could carry it out. Did he really value the company over Dean that much? But it shouldn't have surprised him anyways; the man was willing to let Crowley drug Dean without asking anything.

The doors blew open and Ruby stormed in with Alfrid at her heels.

"Please, miss. If you want to talk to Mr. Winchester, then you must schedule an appointment." Ruby whirled around, causing Alfrid to stop abruptly.

"I already did. Isn't that right Sam?" She asked. Sam nodded.

"Um, yeah, Alfrid. It's fine. You can leave." Alfrid nodded.

"Of course, sir. And you brother also asked you to call him as soon as possible, just to let you know." He said, before closing the doors and leaving.

"Hell of butler you've got there." She commented.

"Shut up." He turned the computer towards her, and she quickly scanned the screen. Finally she looked up.

"Why all of this 'install me as co-head, marry Bela' shit? Why not make himself the head of the company directly?" She asked.

"I don't know." Sam replied. "And I especially don't know why Crowley would want Dean to marry Bela of all people. I mean, she's a model, no one even remotely related to Winchester Motors. If he's after the company like you said, this is a hell of a way to go about it."

"I know. Which is why you're going to find out all about it." She said, turning to leave. She stopped right before the doors and turned around again. "Oh, and don't forget to meet me at 4 tomorrow." She made to open the doors, but they swung open by themselves to reveal a man with blond hair and mischievous eyes, carrying Dean. Behind him were two other bodies, one of which looked like Alfrid.

"What the hell?" Sam asked.

"Sammy, my boy! What's this I hear about meeting at 4? Is this a date you've got with that hot chick?" He asked. Sam stared at him in confusion and concern. "You are Sam Winchester, right? Dean's younger brother? He would be proud of you for scoring a girl like this if he was, you know, conscious."

"What the hell?" Sam repeated. Ruby looked between the two.

"Well, this seems like personal business, so I guess I'll just leave. See you tomorrow Sam." She gave him a peck on the cheek and walked out.

"Nice girlfriend." Gabriel remarked.

"Wha- she's not my girlfriend!" Sam exclaimed. Gabriel clucked his tongue.

"You Winchesters and denying romantic relationships. Such as shame. You can't see it when it's right in front of your faces." He said.

"Can you please just explain who you are and what you're doing with my brother, my butler and-" Sam broke off. "Is that Castiel Novak? The pianist? Why is he here? Why are they all unconscious?" Sam asked. Gabriel chuckled.

"So you know my brother."

"He's your _brother_?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"Oh, Sam. Sit down and I'll explain everything."

"But-"

"Shhh. Just listen to the story. So, first question." He said, setting down Dean next to the other bodies. "Do you remember 10 years ago, your brother had a friend named Cas?" Sam furrowed his eyebrows

"Um, kind of. Was it that skinny kind with the blue eyes that my brother used to hang around with a lot?" He asked.

"That's one way to put it." Gabriel said.

The memories came flooding back to him. "They were pretty good friends, but then Dean told me that they lost contact."

"They were more than friends." Gabriel said.

Sam raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know my brother swung that way. I mean, sure, he screws around with them, but…" Sam gestured with his hands. "Y'know."

"Cas was his first love, and last, I'm pretty sure." Gabriel commented.

"Okay, but what does that have to do anything with you knock my brother, butler, and a famous pianist unconscious and dragging them into my house?" Sam asked. "You said you would explain, so you'd better do that before I throw you out." Gabriel shook his head.

"Sam, Sam, Sam. I thought you were smarter than this! Connect the dots!"

"I don't get it." Sam said. Gabriel groaned.

"Do I really have to spell this out for you? Cas, your brother's 'friend'. Castiel Novak, famous pianist. Dean is immediately attracted to him, just like he was attracted to Cas." Gabriel said slowly. Sam's eyes lit up with understanding.

"Holy shit. Do you mean Dean's Cas and Castiel…. Oh my god!" Questions raced through Sam's brain. How had Dean not recognized Cas? For that matter, how had he not recognized Cas? Sam's brain flashed back to the email. _Drug him to make sure that he forgets that other woman._ Except, that other woman had been another man. Cas. "Oh my god. Oh my god." He repeated. He could only imagine his father's reaction when he had found Dean and Cas. He had already been ready to ged rid of Dean's love interest when it was a girl. His father had probably been more than eager to separate them.

"Sam!" Gabriel snapped his fingers in front of Sam's face.

"So why now? Why play matchmaker 10 years later?" Gabriel shrugged.

"Many reasons. One, they needed time and distance for the anger to go away and the heartbreak to set in. Two, after Dean left Cas, he called me one last time and told me not to visit him. But recently, our father, well he's suffering from a terminal illness. Cancer of the kidney. So, I decided to go get Cas to sort things out between them before our father goes to the fair. But, Cas didn't really want to come, you see, so I had to force him." He gestured towards Cas's body. Sam raised his eyebrows.

"He's going to be happy when he wakes up."

"Our father brought us up as soldiers. Punch first, think later." Gabriel shrugged.

"Where does my brother come in in all of this?"

"Well, you see, the only reason our father got mad and kicked Cas out of the house is because he refused to help with our father's failing business."

"And what exactly is this business?"

"A brewery. He used to live in America, but then he decided that he wanted to start a brewery, and that there would be less competition in Russia. So he moved there with our family. But not only was there only no competition, there were no customers. I wasn't alive when all this happened, but my older brothers, Michael and Lucifer were, though, and I heard all of this from the both of them."

"Did you say Lucifer?" Sam asked. Gabriel chuckled.

"My mother was very religious. And really, it fits. Michael, the righteous son who supported his father, no matter what, and Lucifer, the one who rebelled and was also kicked out. Little Cas takes after him. And then there's me. I couldn't stand it all, the tension in the house. I ran away, created my own fortune. I convinced my father that I had started my own successful company, and he allowed me to leave home."

"You have a company?"

"Yeah, just a small lie."

"Then how do you have money to survive?"

"My little secret." Gabriel smiled. "Anyway, back to the story. I need your brother because he is their heir to a very expensive company, and I don't have any other reason to bring him along than to tell my father that I made a deal with his company."

"So what's the real reason you're taking him?"

"I'm Cas's brother. He hasn't been the same for the past 10 years. The first year and so, sure, he was thriving. But later? I could see how much it hurt him. The few times he did call, he sounded lifeless. He was happy playing piano and performing, but something was missing. And don't tell me that you haven't noticed a difference in Dean too. I've spent 15 minutes with him, max, and he doesn't seem anything like the happy person my brother described. So this is where my plan comes in. Put them together in an isolated place together, and they're bound to realize it sooner and later; they love each other." Sam nodded, impressed.

"And let me guess, Dean didn't like your plan either?"

"Whatever it takes." Gabriel said.

"And how long will they be gone?"

"2 weeks."

"Great." Sam said. "I give you permission to abduct my brother and take him to Russia with his lover."

"See, Sam. I knew you'd understand. Now, I need to load these two on my private jet before they wake up. Have fun on your date, Sammy." Gabriel said, getting up to leave.

"It's not a date." Sam grumbled under his breath.

* * *

Alfrid was sore. The Winchesters had had 2 visitors today, and both of them had simply walked into the mansion without an appointment. He rubbed his cheek ruefully. Especially that last visitor. He was a violent one and had punched him just to get past to Mr. Winchester.

Sighing, Alfrid pulled out his phone, typing in his password slowly with one hand. He was getting too old for this kind of job.

The person he was calling picked up on the first ring. "Alfrid." Crowley said. "How are things going, my friend?" He asked.

"Well, Mr. Crowley. It is as you suspected. Sam Winchester is communicating with Ruby."

"Do you know what they were talking about?"

"It seems Mr. Winchester has found out about your deal. I have a feeling that he and Ms. Ruby are planning something."

"Yes, they're going to kill me." Crowley said casually. "Do you know what this means, Alfrid?"

"No, sir."

"I need to make my move before they do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make some calls." Crowley hung up the phone, immediately dialing John Winchester's number.

"Mr. Crowley?" John said. "What is it?"

"John. Hello. We need to talk about our deal. I'm renegotiating the terms. The wedding will be moved up to…" He checked his calendar. "3 weeks. Also, I want you to give me the rest of my payment now."

"What? No, you can't renegotiate the deal now! The wedding will take forever to plan, and-"

"I. Don't. Care. Get it done, Winchester. Need I remind you, I'm the one controlling this deal. You don't agree, I take away your success and kill you. So make arrangements, because this needs to happen in 3 weeks."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is not one of my better chapters, but whatever, you know?

Dean was mad. Not the raging, Hulk-like mad, but the kind that simmered slowly, building up in pressure, the seething kind of mad. He had been dragged onto this flight against his will and now was being taken to RUSSIA, of all places. He would have skinned Gabriel alive already, because it was definitely him who had dragged Dean here, but the little snivelling son of a bitch had locked himself in a room on his private jet. A private jet, for god's sake! And Gabriel had said that he didn't really own a rich company.

Then there was the other problem of Cas. He was here, and judging by his response when he woke up, he hadn't wanted to come either.

"Gabriel, open up!" Cas was pounding on the door of Gabriel's personal suite.

"Sorry, can't risk getting killed before we see Dad!" Gabriel called out.

"Y'know Cas, you might as well enjoy this flight while you can. Stop wasting your energy on petty things like your bastard of a brother." Dean suggested, sipping a martini delicately.

Cas glared at him, then turned to the door again. "Why is he here?" He demanded.

"Oh, Dean? He's a friend." Gabriel said.

"He's not my friend!"

"Oh, I know, I know. No love lost and all, isn't that right? Yes, he's not your friend, but he's here as mine, so I expect you treat him like a human being. Don't make me come out there and scold you."

"Oh, you're welcome to come out anytime you like. I'll be waiting for you." Cas replied.

"I second that motion!" Dean called.

"I thought you were on my side!" Gabriel complained.

"I'm look out for myself." Dean said.

"Damn straight he does." Cas muttered, and Dean winced. He hadn't meant it like that, but then again, anything he said would be used against him. Cas sat down in the lounge seat, the one farthest away from Dean, staring out the window.

"So-" Dean started.

"No."

"Oh, come on, Cas."

"I said no, alright? I don't want to talk right now." Cas told him, still staring out the window.

"Fine, suit yourself." Dean muttered. "Drink please!" He called to the staff on the plane. They brought him a beer and he popped it open with relish, taking a sip out of it.

It was horrible. He spit it out immediately, the acidic taste still in his mouth. "God, what crap is this?" He looked at the label. "Giani's? It sounds like a fucking fake Italian restaurant." He set the bottle down on the table, and to his surprise, Cas was actually laughing. "What?" He asked defensively.

"That's what we all told him too. Well, everyone except Michael. He didn't believe us, of course." Cas said, looking at Dean.

"Who?"

"My father. That was the beer from his brewery." Cas seemed to realise he was talking to Dean and stopped smiling abruptly, turning back to the window.

"Y'know, you can talk to me like a normal human being. You don't have to ignore me."

"I'm not."

"Really? Come on, Cas. Look, I know that when we last talked, it was bad. But I'm over it, and if you are too, you'll have no problem talking to me." Dean stated. Cas looked back at him.

"What do you want, Dean? What do you want with me?"

"I want you to treat me like a goddamn normal human being instead of ignoring me all the time! I mean, really, this whole silent treatment thing? It's childish. I just want you to put the past behind us, where it belongs and spare me from a completely silent and awkward flight."

"Yeah, but then what happens after? We get of this flight, you'll want to keep talking!"

"And what's so bad about that?"

"Because! If I talk to you now, if I let you in, even as people who are just talking you each other for a flight, you'll find a way to weasel yourself back into my life again. I mean, I spent 10 years avoiding you, and then I spend a couple days with you and I'm already like this! And if I let you back into my life again, we'll become friends, and then I'm going to want something more, and then we'll back here again, with you not caring and me heartbroken! Because it doesn't matter what I do to stay away, because I'll always come back to here! Because I still-." Cas stopped, breathing hard, realizing what he had been about to say.

"Because you still what?" Dean asked, and Cas realized how close they had gotten to each other in their frenzy, and pulled away.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Just leave me alone." Cas got up quickly and strode over to the other private room, locking himself in.

"Well, fuck." Dean sighed under his breath.

* * *

When Dean woke up again, they were about to land. He rubbed his eyes and groaned, stretching as the flight descended. He looked around. Both Cas's and Gabriel's doors were open, and Cas was lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully. He was curled up around his pillow, his arms holding the blanket snugly around him. Dean smiled. He remembered the few times Cas had slept over, he had always ended up like this in the morning. Once, Dean had tried waking up Dean, and Cas had immediately hit him with the pillow. Although the ensuing pillow fight had been fun, Dean couldn't help but wonder about why Cas had responded like that.

Then there was the matter of Gabriel. Dean slowly walked to his room and looked in, but Gabriel was nowhere to be found. He sat back down in his seat while the plane landed.

For some unknown reason, Dean was nervous. Maybe because he had lived in Lawrence his whole life, maybe because he had no idea where he was going after he got of the plane, or maybe it was because he was about to meet Cas's parents.

He hoped to god they didn't know about what had happened between him and Cas.

"Dean-o! Hey! Nice to see you're awake." Gabriel emerged from the front of the plane. Dean got up, walking towards him, but Gabriel threw a suitcase at him. Dean caught it stumbling back. "There's your suitcase. Your brother helped me pack it. Very nice guy."

"My brother? Sam? When did you see him?"

"Well, not to boost your ego, but you're famous. Everyone knows where you live. Alls I had to do was walk in there and talk to Sam. And trust me, he was more than happy to be sending your ass over here." Dean started to speak, but Gabriel cut him off. "Oh, and speaking of Sam, he wants to talk to you." Gabriel held up the phone. Dean reached for it, but Gabriel pulled it back. "Ah. But you have to wait until you get to the hotel, yes?"

"Hotel?" Dean asked.

"Well, where did you think you were staying? At my house? That would be a disaster. And besides, we're supposed to be business partners, so let's keep it official. You and Cas stay at the hotel, I stay at home."

"Cas is staying there too?"

"Well, I don't think he's quite at the 'invited back home' stage yet, so I booked a hotel room for him too." Gabriel pointed out. Just then, Cas walked out of his room.

"Are we here?" He asked. Gabriel nodded.

"I was just explained how you and Dean would be staying in the hotel together." Cas glared at him, and Gabriel quickly amended his statement. "Not in the same room of course. Different rooms. Anyway, let's go shall we?",

* * *

Once they got to the hotel, Dean texted Sam. Their conversation went something like this:

**D: sam, u backstabbing little bitch, pick up**

**S: What?**

**D: dont play innocent**

**S: It's for your own good, Dean.**

**D: u gave gabriel permission to take me to russia. God knows how long ill be here**

**S: 3 weeks, actually.**

**D: ur kidding right**

**D: right?**

**S: …**

**D: and u didnt even pack my good clothes! a sweater and vest set? seriously?**

**S: It's going to be cold there.**

**D: dont talk to me. I can make my own decisions, okay. and i have places to be soon**

**S: Speaking of decisions, there's something I have to ask you.**

**D: nope. not listening**

**S: Dean, really? Don't be childish.**

**D: lalalalala cant hear u**

**S: Really?**

**S: Come on, this is important.**

**S: Dean!**

**S: Goddammit.**

Dean sighed, turning off his phone. He briefly considered asking Sam what was so important, but he had better things to do with his time. And right now, it seemed like there was a fight brewing down the hall. And Dean being Dean, he had to go check it out.

He could hear the shouts from his room while he was texting Sam, but they had gotten closer by the minute. Now, he could make out the words.

"Where is it? Where did you put it?"

"I don't know, I swear, I don't know." Thwack. "Please, I'll tell you, I'll tell you, just stop, please." Dean opened the door to see a man pinning a young boy against the wall. He had a broken bottle in his hand, and the boy was injured, streams of blood running down his face from a large gash. Dean stared at him concerned. The boy was beaten up so badly he needed medical attention. He fingered his phone in his hand nervously, when the man looked over at him, He immediately dropped the boy, rushing over to Dean.

"You going to call the police on me, boy? Filthy Americans defiling my land! I'll show you." He raised the bottle towards Dean and brought it down on him. Dean blocked his arm, holding it in place, and twisted it around the man's back, kicking him in the knee. The man stumbled briefly, but then came back, hitting Dean in the stomach with the bottle. It cracked and broke, leaving a gash in Dean's shirt where blood started to seep through.

"Hey!" A voice called. "Stop it." Dean and the man turned towards the voice. It was Cas. He stood with his arms folded, leaning against the wall.

"Or what? You'll report me?" The man laughed.

"Actually, I was thinking of calling my brother here." Cas said, strolling over. Dean wanted to slap him. What did he think he was doing? It wasn't like Gabriel could fix this situation.

"You think your brother can beat me up, pretty boy? Too scared to do it yourself?" The man laughed even harder at Cas.

"I don't think you understand. My brother is Luc Novak." Cas said in the same placid tone, but the smile slipped off of the man's face instantaneously. He muttered a curse under his breath and bolted off without another word, Cas looked over at Dean.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"M'fine. Not so sure about that other kid there, though. He might need some medical attention." Dean gestured over to the boy, who was passed out against the wall. Cas looked over at him, his eyebrows knitting in concern.

"You didn't unpack yet, did you?' Dean shook his head. "Good." Cas replied. "Get your bags out of the room and give me your phone." He ordered. Dean looked at Cas skeptically.

"What?"

"Just do it, Dean." Dean shrugged but did as he was told, grabbing the backpack that Sam had managed to fit two weeks' worth of clothes in. He was impressed, really, at Sam's efficiency, aside from the fact that he was creeped out that his brother had gone through his clothes.

Dean swung back into the hallway and saw Cas with his bags and Dean's broken phone on the phone.

"Dude, what the hell?" Dean asked annoyed.

"Come on, they're going to be here soon." Cas motioned with his hand, exiting the hallway with a side door. It led onto a fire escape, and Cas clambered down the steps. Dean stood obstinately at the top, folding his arms.

"Mind telling me why we're running like we're criminals?" Dean asked. Cas looked at him exasperatedly.

"Dean, now is not the time."

"Oh, now is a perfectly good time." Dean reasoned. A cab pulled up to the front of the fire escape.

"Not if you want to miss the getaway car." Cas said, standing at the door of the car. "Are you coming?" _Getaway car? They hadn't done anything wrong, had they?_ Dean grudgingly climbed into the car. As soon as the car started moving, Cas launched into an explanation.

"I called the police so they could get that kid medical attention. If we had stayed there, they would have detained us for questioning." Cas said, as if that explained everything.

"So?"

"So, they would look into our records, and then find out that I'm related to Luc Novak." Cas said.

"You mentioned him before, too, with that guy. Who is he, some mega mobster?" Dean asked jokingly.

"Yes."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No." Cas said, then realized how that sounded. He took a deep breath. "Okay, so I have 3 brothers. Luc, Michael, and Gabriel. You already met Gabriel. Luc, well his full name is Lucifer." Dean choked, doing a double take.

"You're kidding, right? Like, Satan Lucifer?"

"Do you know of any others?" Cas asked. Dean whistled.

"Man, your family…" He trailed off.

"Anyway, Luc was also kicked out, when he was 20, because my parents found out he was dealing drugs with this local gang. When he left, he took shelter with them, and, well, you can guess what happened next. "

"Man, that's awesome!" Dean exclaimed, then realized what he had said. "I mean, totally not. Sorry."

"So, if I go to the police station, they'll keep me in custody."

"So what do we do now?" Dean asked.

"We go home." Cas replied. The car stopped in front of a small house, and the two of them stepped out.

Cas took a deep breath, bracing himself before walking up to the front door and ringing the bell.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI. Once again, I'll be posting two chapters at once since this chapter is a particularly short one. Thank you to everyone who commented; I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Read on!

Gabriel was the one that answered the door. Of course, he didn't bother actually opening it. "This is the Novak household. If you're trying to sell something, we're not interested. If you're delivering a package, leave it on the doorstep. And if you're the pizza man, I know you're just trying to get a piece of my sweet ass, because no one can accidentally deliver pizza to the wrong house that many times." Gabriel shouted through the door.

"Open the door, Gabriel. It's me." Cas replied, rolling his eyes.

"Cas." Gabriel said, and the door swung open. "And Dean. Fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah, the hotel situation didn't really work out." Dean said, gesturing in to all the blood. Gabriel sighed, but cleared the doorway.

"Well, come on in." He said. "You're lucky that we have extra rooms." Dean and Cas walked inside the house. It was small, but cozy, with all the rooms spilling into one another. There was a tall, spiraling staircase near the door that led up to a second level.

"Where is everyone?" Cas asked.

"Mom and Michael went to pick up Dad from the hospital. They said they'll be back in 2 days." Gabriel called from the upper level. Cas looked over at Dean suddenly.

"You're hurt." He shrugged.

"Yeah? So are you." He pointed out.

"You can go to the bathroom upstairs." Cas offered to him.

"Sure." Dean started to follow Cas up the steps.

"So, um, Dean. I was thinking about what you said to me on the plane." Cas started. He didn't want to look back at Dean for fear that he would chicken out. "And I thought you were right, you know. If I was really over you, I wouldn't be like this. Ignoring you, I mean. If I was really over you, then I would be okay with us being friends again. And that would be nice. You were my best friend, Dean. So if it's okay with you, I would like-." Cas stopped suddenly, realizing that he was the only one walking up the steps. "Dean?" He called. "Where are you?"

"Here." Dean answered. "At the bottom of the steps." Cas rushed to him, realizing briefly that Dean hadn't heard anything of what he had said.

"You okay?" He asked. Dean groaned, rolling over onto his back.

"Dizzy. I think the blood loss is getting to me." He said weakly. Cas walked over carefully and sat next to Dean, inspecting the wound. Sure enough, the gash on Dean's stomach was leaking blood.

"Gabe! A little help down here!" Cas called.

* * *

When Dean woke up, he was lying on a plush bed. The covers were pulled up around him snugly. Sighing, Dean sat up in the bed. A slicing pain shot through his body and he inhaled sharply.

"Careful. It's not fully healed yet." A voice said. Dean turned towards it, and through the dim lighting of the room, saw that it was Cas. He walked over and sat on the bed next to Dean.

"How long have I been out?" Dean asked.

"Six hours. I had to stitch up your wound."

"Wait, you did this?" Dean asked, lifting up his shirt and running his fingers over the neat, precise stitches.

"We couldn't go to a doctor for the same reason we can't go anywhere else in this town." Cas answered.

"Your brother." He nodded. "Do you even know where he is anyway?" Dean asked.

"No. But even if I did I wouldn't tell them."

"Why not? He's a criminal, isn't he?"

"He was my brother first. And my brother isn't a criminal. He was forced into circumstances that he couldn't control, and he did what he could to make the best of it. I would never give him up. Wouldn't you do the same for your brother?" Cas asked.

"Sammy? Yeah, I guess I would." Dean admitted. "So, Cas, what was that you were saying about me being right and all before I passed out?" Dean asked.

"You heard?"

"Yeah. Did you mean it? About wanting to be friends again?"

Cas took a deep breath. "I did. Do you want…" Cas started trailing off. Dean smiled at him, pulling him into a hug.

"I missed you, man."

"Yeah. Me too." Cas replied.

From the doorway, Gabriel stood, watching them with a smirk. It was only a matter of time before those two got together, and he intended to be the one to cause it.

* * *

Sam was waiting in front of the old ivy building. It was 4:07 now, and he half considered leaving. So much for being punctual, he snorted to himself. After waiting another minute, he walked back to his car. If she hadn't arrived by now, she probably wouldn't come.

"Going somewhere?" A voice asked. It was Ruby, of course.

"I thought you said I 'had to be on time'. Doesn't that apply to you too?" Sam folded his arms.

"I had some… other business to take care of." She replied. "Come on, let's go inside." She walked towards the house at a brisk pace.

"Wait, I thought I was going to meet Lilith today."

"Not yet. You still need your debriefing. We collected some new information on Bela." They walked into the house together. Sam noticed Ruby carrying a large black case.

"What's in there?"

"Can't you wait for just a minute? God." Ruby rolled her eyes.

"What's up with you today?" Sam grumbled.

"None of your business." She set the case on the table with a thud and opened it. Inside there were bundles of papers and a laptop. Ruby opened a compartment and pulled out a small hard drive. "This is all the information we have on Bela. Unfortunately, it's encrypted. We need you to extract the information from it. If you do that, you can meet Lilith."

"What? But-"

"This is a test,Sam." Ruby slammed her hand on the table. "And you need to pass it. If you don't, they'll throw you aside and get someone else. And maybe that someone won't care as much about your father's life as you do."

"Why are you telling me this, then? Giving me the advantage?" Sam asked. Ruby looked uncomfortable.

"Because I care. About you." She finally said. Sam was silent. Sighing, Ruby closed the case and handed him the drive. "Get the files. Give them to me before a week is up." With that, Ruby left him.

* * *

From her small little cubicle, Lilith watched. Even Ruby didn't know that there were cameras in the house. Of course, she had had them installed after Ruby checked for bugs of any sort.

Lilith watched. And oh, how well Ruby was doing. How well she was acting. And when she told him that she was disobeying orders for him. For him! Ha. As if.

Poor Sam didn't stand a chance against her. Yes, it was all going to work out just fine.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a whole chapter of pure fluff and has nothing to do with forwarding the plot of the story. But whatever, y'know. It was fun to write.

For Dean, the next two days were bliss. It had been so long since he had gone out of the house, much less the country, and he was surprised to find that he was enjoying himself. After, of course, Cas let him get out of bed.

"Dean… are you sure you're okay?" He asked for the millionth time. "What I did was a bare-minimum patch up job. You could've gotten infected from the bottle."

"Trust me, Cas." He replied, rummaging around the kitchen for a pan. "If I had caught something, I would've been dead by now."

Cas sighed in agreement, settling himself on top of the counter. "Fine. What are you making?" He asked.

"Breakfast. Want some pancakes?" Dean offered. Cas nodded.

"I never knew you knew how to cook." Cas commented, watching Dean crack eggs into a large bowl.

"Yeah, well growing up, I did all the cooking in the house. Sam was too young and my dad was always at work, so the job fell to me."

"Your dad didn't help at all? Cas asked. Dean shook his head.

"Nah. His priority was always to the company. Still is. Doesn't give a shit about what we do with our lives now, as long as we obey him." Dean replied, flipping the pancake. Cas nodded, and they sat in comfortable silence. "Hey, Cas-" Dean started, but was interrupted by Gabriel waltzing into the kitchen.

"Is that pancakes I smell?" He asked, taking some from the stack and piling things on top of it.

"Dude. Seriously?" Dean said. "Sugar, whipped cream, and syrup? Gross."

Gabriel shrugged. "You can never have too much sweet." He stated. Cas shook his head at his brother's tastes.

"He's always been like this. Once, when he was 8, he tried creating a 'dairy shake'."

"Do I dare ask what's in it?" Dean said.

"Milk, yogurt, ice cream, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, butter, and salt." Cas listed. Dean made a face.

"Okay, okay. I admit, that wasn't the better of my culinary experiments, but I was young and foolish then. I've gotten better at finding… complementary tastes now." Gabriel defended. Cas rolled his eyes.

"You mean your mayonnaise and Nutella sandwich?"

"That actually does taste good! You just haven't tried it!" Gabriel exclaimed.

"Maybe because I don't want to be standing over a toilet puking up my lunch." Cas looked over to Dean for support, but he shrugged.

"I don't know. I mean, it actually doesn't sound that bad." He said.

"Oh, you're kidding me." Cas made an exasperated face, sitting down at the table with his pancakes. "You two are disgusting."

"Keep this one, Cassie. He has good taste." Gabriel laughed.

"Shut up." Cas glared at his brother. Seeing their banter reminded Dean of Sam. Which reminded him of the texts that his brother had been sending him, ever since he landed.

"Hey, guys, I'll be right back." He said, pushing in his chair. He grabbed his phone from the table and dialed Sam's number, stepping into the living room for privacy.

"Dean?" Sam asked, his voice thick with sleep. "Why're you calling now? It's 1:30 in the morning."

"Sorry. I forgot about the time difference. But now that you're up, what did you want to talk about?" Dean replied.

"Now?" Sam groaned, and Dean heard him shifting around before he spoke again. "It's important, but can't you call back later?" He asked.

"No can do, Sammy. I have a busy schedule here."

"Speaking of, sorry for throwing you on that plane. But you know it was for your own good."

"Yeah, I know." Dean admitted grudgingly. "I hate to say it, but I'm actually glad you made me come."

Dean could practically hear Sam's smirk. "I don't want to say I told you so, but-"

"Yeah, I get it. Get to the point. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"It's nothing that important. I just wanted to know if Dad told you that you were getting married." Sam said it casually, but Dean could tell that this was an important question to him.

"Yeah, he did? How do you know about it though?"

"Um, Dad told me. It's the week after you come back, isn't it?"

"The week after? What? Dad told me it was four months!"

"Well, he told me it was in three weeks. I dunno. Maybe he changed it."

"Without my permission?"

"When did Dad ever ask for permission for anything. I mean, he arranged your marriage with Bela Talbot of all people." Sam pointed out.

"Bela? You mean that modeling chick that goes through 5 boyfriends a year?"

"Let me guess, he didn't tell you about that either?"

"Nope. He and I are going to have a chat when I get back."

"Don't make him mad, Dean. Be careful."

"Always am. Anyway, I gotta go, so goodnight."

"Yeah. Have fun, Dean."

"Will do. Bye."

"Bye." Dean hung up, heading back to the kitchen. He was confused about what Sam had told him. Why would his father tell him and Sam separate dates for the wedding? And to Bela of all people.

"Hey, Dean-o! You ready?" Gabriel asked.

"For what?" Dean asked warily. Gabriel held a devilish smirk on his face, and Cas was looking at him strangely.

"We're going to Tabell's. It's a local museum near us." Cas said.

"A museum?"

"It was one of my favorite places to go when I was younger." Cas explained. "Gabriel said he made reservations there for us a month ago.:

"But you didn't even know that we were coming." Dean pointed out.

"I always knew I could convince you to come." Gabriel said. The trio walked outside and entered Gabriel's car.

"What is this?" Dean exclaimed in disgust.

"A magical flying carpet." Gabriel deadpanned. "It's a car, you dumbass."

"No it's not. Cars are works of art. This looks like a 5 year-old put together a bunch of scrap metal."

"Oh, and I suppose you think your dad's cars are better?"

"Hell no. My Impala's the best car around for miles."

"I beg to differ, Winchester."

"Not everything on four wheels drives well." Dean remarked. Gabriel smirked, probably thinking of some snarky reply.

"And not everything that drives well has four wheels. I know that you can drive yourself right up my brother's as-" Gabriel stopped, receiving dual glares from Cas and Dean. "Asphalt driveway. I don't know what you two were thinking, but I was going to say asphalt driveway."

Cas rolled his eyes. "Right. Let's go now. We're going to miss the appointment." He slid into the passenger seat, and Dean and Gabriel grudgingly followed.

"Hey, Dean." Cas said, looking into the rearview mirror to find Dean's eyes. "What were you going to ask earlier before Gabriel so rudely interrupted us?" He said, glaring pointedly at his brother.

"It was nothing. Um, just we were talking about yesterday, about your brother, Luc, right?"

"You told him?" Gabriel asked, surprised.

"You were the one who said I could trust him." Cas said softly, so that Dean wouldn't hear. He did anyway, though. In a louder voice, Cas addressed Dean. "So what did you want to know?"

"It's stupid, really." Dean mumbled.

"Just ask. I'm not going to laugh."

"You might not even know the answer, though. There's no point in asking."

"Dean."

"Okay. I wanted to know if you knew what the name was."

"The name of what?"

"Of his gang." Dean told him. Castiel raised his eyebrows, shocked at first. "I just- I'm just curious okay?" Dean said. A smile spread across Cas's face.

"Okay." His shoulders were shaking, and Dean realized that he was trying to hold in laughter.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" He accused.

"I'm not laughing at you. The name, it's ridiculous."

"Well, what is it?"

"It's- It's Hell's Demons." Cas spit out between peals of laughter. Upon hearing the name, Dean started to laugh too.

"That's ridiculous." He said. Cas nodded.

"I know."

"You would've thought it would be something cool." Dean said shaking his head.

"Oh, shut up, you two. We're here." Gabriel said, parking in front of the building. It was a tall and wide building, and the parking lot in front of it was filled with cars. Dean read the sign on the door as they entered.

"Tabell's. Home to a wide collection of cars, planes, and more." He looked over at Cas. "How many times have you been here?"

"More than I can count. The owner, Becky Rosen, is a friend of my dad's. She lets us come over any time we want."

"Doesn't it get boring, though? I mean, haven't you seen everything already?"

"Oh, we're not here to look at the planes." Gabriel smiled and walked over. "A certain brother of yours told me somethings about you. I thought you'd like it here."

"Unless they have hookers, I'm not interested." Dean joked, but he followed Cas and Gabriel to an adjoining room in the back of the museum. He stopped abruptly when he saw what was inside.

"It's a flight simulator. Gabriel and I used to come here often to pilot it when we were younger." Cas said happily. However, his smile ceased when he saw Dean's expression.

"I can't go in that!" Dean said, horrified.

"Oh, come now Dean. Be a man!" Gabriel urged, getting into the machine.

"What's he talking about?" Cas said, confused. Dean looked at him. He couldn't chicken out in front of Cas. He took a deep breath. _You can do this, Dean. Just get in and close your eyes. You've flown on a plane before._

"Nothing." Dean said, and to prove the point, he stepped inside. There were three seats in a row, with seat belts hanging from above. On the dashboard of the first seat where Gabriel had promptly sat were controls to fly the plane. In front of them all was a large screen. Dean took the middle seat, putting on his seatbelt, and Cas took the last one, closing the door. The seats were close together, so Dean's limbs were touching Cas's and Gabriel's.

"Atta boy, Dean." Gabriel smirked. "Now, let's get this party started." He pressed a button, and the screen jumped to life, showing a runway. Gabriel moved the controller forward, and Dean felt the whole machine move. _See, this isn't that bad,_ Dean told himself. _It's just like riding in a car._

The plane started to climb, and Dean tensed. Instinctively, he grabbed the closest object, which happened to be Cas's hand. The plane leveled out, Gabriel cruising smoothly. The screen now showed fluffy white clouds. Dean began to relax.

"This is nice." He commented, but seeing the ensuing smirk on Gabriel's face made him want to take it back. Suddenly, the plane dove downwards, and Dean felt the bottom of his stomach drop. He inhaled sharply, gripping Cas's hand. Gabriel and Cas on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the ride. They looked at each other and smiled, reliving some childhood memory. Gabriel skimmed the water before going up again, and then making a loop. Dean couldn't help himself. He let out a small squeak. Cas looked over briefly to see what had made the noise, but was distracted by Gabriel dropping the plane again. Thank God.

The plane began to rise once more. Dean closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable drop, but it never came. He opened his eyes and found that they were still rising. Then, the plane abruptly nosed down, and they plummeted.

Dean yelled, closing his eyes, and gripping Cas's hand and the armrest with all the strength he had. He was pushing against the restraints of his seat belt, and for a second, he felt like he was about to fall. He forgot about the simulation. _Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me Please don't kill me._ He was repeating the chant in his head when he realized that the ride was over. Slowly, Dean opened his eyes and saw an amused Cas staring at him.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"You're stopping the circulation in my hand." He said. Dean released his hand.

"Sorry."

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you afraid of flying?" Cas asked.

"Yeah." Dean admitted.

"But you flew on the plane over here without any problems."

"I had alcohol then. I was okay."

"Why didn't you say anything? I would have never asked you to come if I had known. As I recall you once saying, I thought you had no fears."

"I didn't want to seem like a sissy." Dean mumbled. Cas chuckled, getting out of the simulator. Dean followed, stumbling over the steps.

"Careful." Cas caught his arm. "And don't worry, Dean. You'll always be brave to me." Dean smiled.

"Thanks, Cas."

"If you're all done making wuvy-dovey eyes at each other, we can go see the rest of the museum." Gabriel walked up to them. The only response he got were two pens chucked at him.

* * *

Sam drove up to the Winchester Inc. building. His mind was still reeling from the conversation he had had with Dean earlier in the morning. Clearly, his brother didn't know anything more than he did. After all, he had only found out from Ruby that the wedding was being moved up. She had asked Sam to put a bug on his father's phone early on in hopes of tracking Crowley, but they hadn't had any successes with that. For all it was worth, Sam was surprised that his father hadn't realized that he was bugged yet. It was only a matter of time.

And speaking of time, Ruby was getting more and more on edge. Their time was decreasing. Crowley was pushing more and more on his end, so they needed to push more on theirs. They needed to kill him before he could acquire the company and do damage that couldn't be undone. Sam suspected that Ruby's job was on the line. She was never worried about anything unless it had personal stakes for her.

Right now, all Sam needed to focus on was getting the drive cracked. If it had some information about Bela, it might be the key to finding out why Crowley wanted Bela and Dean to be together. He only hoped Charlie could work her magic quickly. He had already wasted a day with it, and he needed to get it done as soon as possible.

Sam walked into Charlie's office. She greeted him with a smile. "What's up?" She asked.

"This." Sam said, holding up the drive and sitting down in front of her. Charlie took it from his hand.

"What is it? Another assignment?"

"Yeah. It has some important information for me. I was wondering if you could extract the files from it." Sam informed her.

"Let's taking a look." She plugged the drive into the computer and tried cracking her knuckles. "Ow. Okay, that didn't turn out as well as I thought." The drive loaded and Charlie clicked away on the computer. Her frown deepened as she continued.

"What? What is it?" Sam asked.

"I can't do this." She said.

"What?"

"I can't do this. This system, it's complicated. If I worked on it for a month, maybe, but it doesn't seem like you have that much time." Charlie told him. Sam sighed and shook his head, running his hand through his hair.

"It's there any way?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, Sam. But I can't do it." She looked disappointed, but then her eyes lit up. "But I know who can." She unplugged the drive and gave it back to Sam. "Meet me here again at 4. I have to make some calls, but I think this might work."

"Thank you so much, Charlie. You're a lifesaver." Sam stood up.

"Aw, it's nothing. See ya soon, Sam." She said. Sam smiled back and left her office. He was getting somewhere at least.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT CAS IS DEAD. CAS IS NOT DEAD.

"You see, _that_ car back there was an actual car. Not this junk that we're driving in."

"You're biased, Dean. You think every old car is a beaut and every new one's a piece of trash."

"Damn straight I do, Gabriel."

"Can you guys shut up for just one second?" Cas asked.

"Fine." Dean and Gabriel muttered simultaneously, glaring at each other.

"This isn't over, Winchester."

"Oh, I know." Dean said. Cas rolled his eyes.

"You two are like children, honestly." He shook his head.

"I'm hungry." Gabriel announced less than a moment later.

"We just ate 3 hours ago!" Cas exclaimed.

"Exactly." Dean piped up. "It was _3 hours_ ago. Is there anywhere good around here?" Dean directed his question to Gabriel.

"Oh yeah, there's this amazing diner…"

* * *

Sam met Charlie at 4:00, just like she had asked. He held the drive in his hands, sitting in Charlie's car.

"So, where are we going?" He asked. Charlie grinned at him.

"There's this person I met online. Really good hacker. He's a friend of mine, I guess, but I've never met him in person. I texted him to tell him I was coming over and he agreed to check the drive out." She explained.

"Um, are you sure that he can be trusted? I'd rather keep this private." Sam said. Charlie nodded in understanding.

"Totally. I'm, like, 87% sure that he's not a murder." Sam looked at her, concerned. "Is 94% better? It's an A." She offered. Sam shook his head.

"Alright, if you trust him, I'm okay with it. I just hope this person won't mess this up."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure he won't. He's so much better than me at hacking. I don't understand why he won't work for some company and make a billion dollars, but he likes to hack government files and spill their secrets on the dark web. He says it's much more satisfying. Understandable, of course. Everyone likes to have a hero complex. But anyway, he's like really awesome, and I hope I don't act stupid around him and I'm babbling aren't I?" Charlie realized from Sam's amused gaze. "I'll shut up. Like right now. If I can get my mouth to stop talking."

Charlie pulled up into what seemed like the driveway of a dilapidated house. "Are you sure this is the right address?" Sam asked Charlie. She checked her phone.

"Yeah. Not quite the digs I was expecting, but I suppose his job doesn't really provide a good income." They stepped out of the car together and Charlie tentatively rang the doorbell. Once they heard footsteps approaching, Charlie became a mess.

"Oh my god he's coming." She took deep breaths to calm herself, and then the door swung open.

Sam blinked, registering the face at the door in the dim light. And when he did…

"Sam?" Ash asked. "Is that you?"

* * *

"So basically you two know each other because you were childhood friends." Charlie stated, lounging on Ash's sofa.

"We didn't basically know each other. We did know each other." Ash said.

"Yeah, and then you dropped off the face of the Earth." Sam laughed. They both held beers in their hands, reliving some of their past memories.

"I can't believe you know him. I mean, I've been talking to him online for years and he was my idol, really." Charlie shook her head in disbelief.

"Yeah, we used to sit right by each other on our homemade computer, saving the world from one corrupt person at a time." Ash told Charlie. "Then he ran off and became daddy's corporate lawyer while I hid out in this house."

"I didn't want to do it. But my dad convinced me it was for the better. I thought by becoming a lawyer, I could save innocent people, just like we did, but it didn't quite turn out like that."

"I know. He was always controlling you. Is he still like that?" Ash asked.

Sam snorted. "Oh yeah. Did I tell you what was happening with Dean?" Sam asked. Both Ash and Charlie shook their heads. "Well, basically, Dean met this guy ten years ago, and well, I don't know the exact extent of their relationship, but they were close. Then my dad found them, and Dean basically told the guy that they were done and he left."

"Sounds like John's work." Ash quipped.

"Yeah. So the guy shows up here last week again and Dean goes prancing off with him on a vacation, hopefully apologizing for the bullshit he said. But my dad over here arranged Dean's marriage to be in 3 weeks, but then told Dean it's in 4 months."

Ash whistled. "Well damn."

"And who's the lucky girl that gets to be stranded with Dean for the rest of her life?" Charlie asked.

"Bela Talbot." Sam replied.

"Well, I have to admit, she isn't half bad-looking. I would love to get a piece of her, if you know what I mean." Charlie wiggled her eyebrows.

"Right. Well, speaking of Bela, she's the whole reason I came here." Sam pulled out the drive and showed it to Ash. "This is all the information I have on Bela. I just want to know what Dad's getting Dean into. It's encrypted though, and Charlie said that you would be able to break it."

"She couldn't do it herself?" Ash asked.

"Nope. It would take me some time, and now that I know what it's for, I'm not sure I can finish it in three weeks." Charlie told him. "And Sam, I appreciate your dedication to Dean. Going and stalking down a whole file on his fiancee that no file in the history of encryption has been encrypted with. Definitely normal."

"What she said." Ash smirked.

"Okay, guys, can you just trust me on this? I mean, Charlie, I trusted you about Ash and look how that turned out. I just need some time to work things out for myself, and then I swear I'll explain everything." Sam said.

"Can't you at least tell us who this drive is from?" Charlie asked.

"It's from…" He paused, trying to think of what to say. "A friend. It's from a friend." He nodded.

"Whatever you say, man." Ash mumbled, already trying to crack the drive. "I'll bring this over when I'm done."

Sam nodded. "Thank you." He and Charlie took their leave, walking out to the car.

"Did you tell Dean?" Charlie asked. "About the drive."

"No." Sam shook his head.

"You should. If it's about him, he'll want to know, won't he?"

"Yeah, you're right. I'll text him, I guess. Ask him to call me when he can."

"Good. Because whatever you're doing right now, I have a bad feeling about this. Be careful, okay?"

"Yeah." Sam replied. He supposed that it did make sense that he should tell Dean. After all, all of this was about him. But then there was Ruby, telling him from the very first day, _Don't tell Dean._

Sam got out of the car while Charlie found a suitable place to park. They were back a Winchester Motors again, Charlie needing to finish up some work and Sam going to find his father. They needed to talk about Dean's marriage. But before he could enter the building, security guards came running towards him.

"Mr. Winchester." They stood in front of him, worried looks on their faces. Sam recognized them as his father's personal guards.

"Is there a problem?" He asked. They both glanced at each other before one spoke.

"Sir, there is no need to panic, but your father has not been seen for several hours. It may be that he is taking a break, so we will not know until later, but we wanted you to be on alert. Protocol calls for him to be missing for more than 24 hours before we put out an official alert." Sam's heart started to be faster, but he forced himself to keep calm.

"Okay. Thank you gentlemen. You may leave." They turned around and walked away, leaving a panicked Sam alone in the parking lot. His mind immediately started to think of the most extreme possibilities. What if Crowley had kidnapped his father?

"Hey, Sam, everything alright? You look like you're about to throw up." Charlie came up to him. Sam nodded, placing a somewhat normal expression on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just need to go talk to someone." He said, walking back towards his car.

"Alright." Charlie said uncertainly, but he didn't hear her. He needed to see Ruby.

* * *

Dean sighed as he sunk into the bed. On the floor below him, Cas was settling down. It was night now, and they were getting ready to sleep. Due to the lack of rooms, he and Cas were sharing.

Cas was already snoring, and Dean chuckled. Tomorrow was a big day for him, he knew. His parents were finally coming. Hell, Dean was nervous for that, so he could only imagine how Cas felt. As much as Cas tried to deny it, Dean knew that he wanted badly to reconcile with his family. It would mean the world to him if he was accepted again. Of course, that might mean that Cas would be staying here, but Dean couldn't think about that now. He couldn't be selfish. He had gotten what he wanted with Cas. They were friends again, and that was all that mattered, right? Dean shouldn't have wanted more, but he did.

Dean's phone buzzed with a message, momentarily interrupting his train of thought. Dean took it out and looked at it. It was a message from Sam, saying to call as soon as possible. Sighing, Dean got up and crept out of the room, careful not to wake up Cas.

"Dean." Sam responded on the first ring. "Shouldn't you be asleep? I thought you'd be calling me later."

"Yeah. I couldn't get any sleep. What's up?" He asked.

"Um, well, don't panic, okay? But… Dad went to work and no one's seen him for a couple hours."

"Okay." Dean responded.

"What do you mean, okay? He's gone, Dean!"

"And you just said not to panic."

"But-"

"Look, Sammy, I'm sure he's fine. Remember that time, when you were 17, and he disappeared for a day? He was okay then, and he'll probably be okay now."

"You really think?"

"I know. I mean, what else could have happened to him?" Dean asked. Sam sighed.

"Dean." He said quietly. "There are some things about Dad that you need to know."

"Like what? And why are you whispering all of a sudden?" There was no response. "Sam? Sammy? Hello?" He heard some scuffling noises and muted voices, and then Sam spoke again.

"Okay, Dean, how long have you known that Dad was going to choose your marriage?"

"Sam, what-"

"Just, answer, Dean. Please."

Dean didn't know whether and not to tell him the truth. Would Sam even believe him?

"And don't say a week because you know that's not true."

"10 years. The day that Cas left. That's when he told me." Sam didn't respond for a while, but Dean knew he was there, could hear his breathing on the other side.

"Okay. Okay. I have to go now Dean, but be careful okay? And tell Cas the truth. The whole truth. He needs to know." The line went dead. Dean sighed, pocketing his phone. Sam had been a whole mess of things lately, spouting cryptic messages and then leaving, and Dean suspected he knew more than he was letting on. Dean crept back into his room and saw Cas still sleeping on the floor. Gently, he lifted up Cas's body and placed him on the bed, careful not to wake him.

From the moonlight streaming in through the window, Cas's pale skin was illuminated. And if it seemed like a scene out of a goddamn romance, Dean didn't care, because Cas looked beautiful.

"Hey Cas." He whispered. He shook his head and chuckled. This was stupid, yet here he was anyway, following Sam's advice. "I thought talking to you would make it better, but it's not." Dean took a deep breath. He wanted to tell Cas about everything, about the marriage, and about how he felt, and about Sam, because he knew that even when he was sleeping, Cas would listen to him. But at least this way, he wouldn't have to face any of what he said. Dean continued to talk.

"Somehow, I know I'm going to let you down in the future." He paused. "I'm going to have to leave, Cas. Leave you. I don't want to. It would be okay if we were just friends, but we're not. I'm not, at least. I don't know how you feel about me, but Cas, I think… I think I still love you. I never told you why I left you that day, did I? Never gave you a reason, and yet you still accepted me and I can't help but wonder why. Do you want to know why I left you? It wasn't because I didn't love you, and I wish to god that I could take all those things back. I told you that because that day, my dad told me that I couldn't stay with you. That I would have to marry someone of his choice. And guess what? My wedding's in three weeks. Three weeks. And I don't want to tell you because I feel like I would be betraying you." He took a break from talking, watching Cas sleep.

"And Cas, I don't want to leave you again." Dean said. Cas started to stir in his sleep, and then he panicked. He rushed back to his bed on the floor and pretended to sleep, breathing heavily.

* * *

When Cas woke, it was pouring. The rain fell down in heavy sheets, relentless and loud. This was Cas's favorite kind of weather. The whole world was cleansed by the onslaught of rain. It felt purifying.

Cas headed down the stairs. The house was quiet, which probably meant that Gabriel was still sleeping. He did, however, spot Dean sitting by the window, drinking coffee.

"Hey Dean." He greeted. Dean didn't look at him, instead taking another sip of his coffee. "Dean." Cas repeated, and this time Dean looked at him, a morose expression on his face.

"Hey Cas." When Dean talked, his voice was murky and unclear.

"What's wrong with your voice?" Cas asked.

Dean looked back at the window. "I thought talking to you would make it better, but it's not."

"Would make what better?" He looked at Dean curiously, but Dean went on talking as if he wasn't there.

"Somehow, I know I'm going to let you down in the future." Dean paused, looking back at him. "I'm going to have to leave, Cas. Leave you. I don't want to. It would be okay if we were just friends, but we're not. I'm not, at least. I don't know how you feel about me, but Cas, I think… I think I still love you." He looked at Dean, processing what he had just said. It was still in that same murky voice, so it took a while for Cas to understand him.

" I never told you why I left you that day, did I? Never gave you a reason, and yet you still accepted me and I can't help but wonder why." Cas knew why. And he had almost told Dean too. Dean continued talking, but Cas couldn't hear any of it. He sounded farther and farther away, until it was just another sound passing through his ears.

Dean got up and walked away. He tried calling to him, but his voice wouldn't work. He was stuck in place, immobilized. The world was collapsing on him, drowning into an ocean of black. He couldn't speak or see or breathe or move, no matter how hard he tried and it was suffocating-

Cas shot awake. He was on stable ground now, no longer felt like he was falling. He also realized he was in the bed. No matter how hard he insisted that _he_ sleep on the ground, he always wound up in the bed in the mornings.

It was still dark outside. Cas looked over to the side and saw Dean's sleeping body on the floor. Relief flooded over him and he didn't know why. It was just Dean. But after the dream, he supposed it was comforting to see him.

"Dean." He whispered. It was quiet, but Dean rolled around, facing him.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Did I wake you? I didn't mean-"

"No, no it's fine. I couldn't sleep anyway. What 'bout you?"

'I had an interesting dream." He said. "A nightmare actually."

"A nightmare?" Dean asked. "What was it about?"

Cas hesitated, the contents of the dream swarming him. _I think I still love you._ Why had he thought that? Cas knew that dreams often reflected your day, or any pressing thoughts and matters that were in your head. If that was the case-

"Cas?" Dean repeated.

"It is not of import." He said quickly. "I really shouldn't be keeping you awake."

"S'not like I can fall asleep anyway." Dean said, but the yawn escaping him betrayed his words.

"Dean, you need your rest. And perhaps you would have better sleep on the bed."

"No, Cas. I'm fine right here. You should try to sleep too. Big day ahead."

"Yeah." Cas mumbled, anxiety rising up in his stomach once more. "Big day."

Gabriel's yells interrupted the quiet. "OH, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GO TO SLEEP!" He and Dean both winced at the loud noise, their exasperation exchanged with a prolonged glance.

"Guess that means goodnight." Cas smiled at Dean.

"Yeah. Goodnight Cas."

* * *

When Cas woke up again, it was pouring. It gave a brief start to him before he realized that the snores he heard from Dean sleeping on the ground were very real, and not a dream. From downstairs he heard noises. Cas deduced that Gabriel was up. But then, he heard multiple voices, which could only mean one thing. They were here.

Cas got up and out of the bed, checking them time. It was 1:00 PM. That couldn't be. He checked the other clocks on the upstairs floor just to make sure Gabriel wasn't screwing with him, but they all showed the same time.

So either Gabriel had taken the effort to change all the clocks or he had just woken up really, really late. Cas sighed. As much as he would have liked to stay upstairs until Dean woke up, he knew there were some things he needed to straighten out with his family before Dean came. Tentatively, Cas went down the stairs.

They were all sitting at the table. His mother, with her red hair that no one had inherited. Gabriel, entertaining everyone with some story about his 'heroics'. Michael, sitting by his father's wheelchair as always, dutifully staring at Gabriel with a well practiced facade of fake-listening. And then his father. Cas couldn't see his face, but he imagined it, the cold hardness of it, the unforgiving demeanor. It prepared him for nothing when his father actually turned around.

It didn't look that bad as a whole. But as someone who knew that face, who had grown up looking at it and admiring it and using it as an idol and a standard to grow up to, Cas could point out all the minute differences that made it not-his-father. The extra wrinkles, the added bags under his eyes, they all contributed to the image.

"Castiel. My son." His father said, and everyone turned to him. Michael's eyes, blank and impassive. His mother Anna's, filled with tears. Gabriel looked back and forth tentatively between the two groups.

Any idea of what Cas wanted to say dissipated in the actual presence of his family. He finally managed to squeak out one word. "Hi."

Cas didn't know how he had gotten from the top of the stairs to the bottom, but there he was in his mother's embrace, and she was actually crying.

"Oh, my baby boy. Look at how grown up you are." His mother was a little older too, a few more creases in the skin than when he last saw her, standing in the shadow of his father's thundering presence while he sent Cas away.

Another set of footsteps was heard and they all swiveled to see who it was. Cas already knew of course. It was Dean standing at the top of the steps with his mussed hair and sparkling green eyes, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants that hung low on his waist. He seemed to realize he was intruding on a family matter, as his mouth was slightly agape.

"Mother, father, this is Dean Winchester, my friend and business partner. As I was explaining, there was some trouble at the hotel and I invited him to stay here." Gabriel announced.

"Well, I hope you gave him an appropriate room." His father said.

"Oh, yes. Cas and I shared and we gave the guest bedroom." The lie rolled off of Gabriel tongue easily, though Cas and Gabriel both knew that they wouldn't survive sharing a room for more than 10 minutes.

"I hope our accommodations were good to you." Cas's father said to Dean, but there was a strange tone to his voice. Gabriel seemed to have noticed this too and looked at Dean for his reply.

Dean didn't seem to register that he was being asked a question, albeit indirectly. His face adopted an expression that Cas knew well, one that meant he was trying to figure something out.

"You're Cas's father." He finally said slowly.

"Yes." His father responded. Dean's eyebrows furrowed together.

"But I saw you somewhere else. That gala at the… thing." Everyone looked at Dean.

"That is impossible. Father was at the hospital. You must be mistaking him for someone else." Michael said, immediately jumping to his father's defense. But Dean didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah, yeah. It was at that music gala where I met Cas." Something lit up in Dean's eyes. "Oh! You're Chuck Shurley!" He said. He looked up to meet Cas's eyes and then finally seemed to realize that there was something wrong. "What is it?"

Cas walked over to stand in front of his father. "You were at my performance?" He said quietly, though it was more of a statement than a question.

Chuck looked between his family members, who where glancing back and forth between Chuck and this green-eyed stranger who had brought chaos upon their family so quickly. He finally dropped the act.

"I can explain." Chuck stammered out. All eyes were trained on him.


	11. Chapter 11

Michael spoke first, in that self-righteous voice of his. "You need to explain nothing, father. I'm sure it wasn't your fault." Chuck shook his head with a sad smile at his eldest son.

"No, no. I was wrong. I was always wrong." He got up out of his wheelchair and started to pace, much to the shock of Anna, who almost fainted. Gabriel caught her and stared at his father. It was evident to Cas that no one knew what was going on except Chuck.

"I don't know where to start," He said facing Castiel. "But to offer an apology. I'm sorry. I was acting on my emotions when I sent you out, and I regretted it immediately. But you and I both know how stubborn I am. That's a trait that you inherited from me, I guess. I couldn't accept you back, couldn't make it look like I was doubting my decision." Chuck sighed, sitting back down. He seemed at loss for what to say, and Anna took that time to talk.

"Your illness…" She started, looking at her husband with concern.

"Was a fabrication used to bring Castiel home." Chuck admitted. Anna gasped, and even Michael looked warily at his father. "It was a stupid decision, trying to force you to work with me in my clearly failing business. But I refused to believe that the project that I had invested everything in was all lost. And you, Castiel, you clearly had talent and a calling elsewhere, but I was too blind to see it. So I sent you out, and for a while, a year, two years, I struggled to make ends meet. Then one day on the streets, I saw someone. They had my beer, and just like you, proclaimed that it was horrible. I guess that was when I realized how wrong I had been. But by that time, I had no idea of where you could be."

Chuck looked at Cas, hoping to see some sign of acceptance, but Cas stood against the wall, arms folded. Chuck sighed, continuing with his story. "Of course, a few years ago, I began hearing about you in the news. Castiel Novak, the famous pianist who came from nothing and turned it into something great. I was so proud." A brief expression of surprise flitted onto Cas's face before he covered it up, still staring at his father. "By then, I had changed the image of my company, and had a decent amount of money. I planned a visit to see you at one of your concerts, in hopes of convincing you to come back. But by the time I got there, I saw how comfortable you were, and I knew it would be a lost cause. So instead, I asked a friend of mine at a hospital to help me pull this… scheme off." Chuck seemed finished with his story and stared at Cas expectantly.

"Well, it worked." Gabriel said, looking at his father angrily. "And you had us all worried for months. We spent every second, wondering if this was the time that you finally would be lost! You interrupted my work, for this!"

"It was with good intentions!" Chuck pleaded.

"I know it was. But that doesn't change anything." Gabriel stated.

"I'm going out." Castiel muttered suddenly. Chuck tried to get up to stop him, but Cas was gone, car pealing out of the driveway. Chuck made to go after him, but Dean stopped him.

"You shouldn't go." He said from his perch at the top of the steps. "None of you should. He probably doesn't want to see anyone from his family right now. I'll go check on him."

Chuck shook his head. "Oh, no I can't ask you to do that, sir." He protested, but Dean was already gone.

"And they took both cars too." Gabriel said. "Guess we're stuck in here.

* * *

Dean knew where Cas was going to go. Cas had told him, back then, what his favorite comfort spot was. Dean pulled up into the parking lot of the bank and parked the car he had stolen from the Novak's driveway. He looked on top of the bank, and sure enough, Cas was sitting there. Dean climbed up the fire escape of the building and sat next to Cas, folding his legs because of the small space.

"Dean." Cas knew immediately, even without looking. "You shouldn't've followed me."

"Well, it was either me or Chuck. He was going to come, but I told him off."

"Thank you." Cas replied, but he didn't speak after that. They both sat watching the town. A cold September breeze blew in and Dean shivered, wishing he had brought a jacket.

"Are we going to talk about it?" Dean finally asked.

Cas chuckled. "What's so funny?" Dean said.

"Nothing. It's just, you said are _we_ going to talk about it. As if it's your problem too."

"Well, in a way it is. If Gabriel gets pissed at all this and decides to leave, my ride home is gone. And as much as I would like to stay here instead of fly on a plane, I gotta go home."

"Why? You got anything urgent back home?" Cas asked.

Dean paused, thinking of the wedding and his father. "No. I, uh, just need to check up on the company, ya know. If I'm gone for too long, my dad'll get pissed."

"If it comes to it, you could take a ship."

"Staying at sea for a week at least? I'd prefer the plane." Dean said. Cas snorted, mouth slightly irking up. "But I'm serious, Cas. What are you going to do?" He asked.

Cas shrugged. "I don't know. Leave, I guess."

"You're not being serious, are you?" Dean said. "You can't just leave without talking to them!"

"Dean, they obviously don't care-"

"And what makes you say that, huh? You think you father did all this because he didn't care about you?"

"He could have just talked to me."

"And would you have listened?" Dean smirked knowingly at Castiel's lack of reply. "You," He said, "can be as stubborn as fuck sometimes. And, hell, I'm the last person who should be helping you out with your relationship with your dad, but if I was given an opportunity to make things up with John, I would take it. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm not letting you throw away your shot. So what do you say we go back there and talk things out?"

Cas sighed. "I hate it when you're right, Dean.' He replied, running his hands through his hair. "I'll go back, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk yet."

"But you will talk, right?"

"Of course." Cas promised.

"I'll hold you to that."

* * *

It was pitch black outside, and Sam was sitting in the moss-covered mansion. He didn't know why Ruby had insisted on meeting so late. He had better things to do. At least, that was what he kept telling himself when he dragged his ass over here every time she called.

The familiar creak of the door indicated the Ruby had come. She strutted into the room, carrying the case that had started accompanying her everywhere she went. She placed it on the table, facing Sam.

"Did you get the drive yet?" She asked impatiently.

"It's only been a day, Ruby. Give me some time."

"The faster, the better."

"Can we just get to the point?" Sam asked impatiently.

"Whoa, there. Patience." She said. "I've got some news." She checked her watch before continuing. "Your dad's been missing for 24 hours and 10 minutes officially. They've just put out a search party for him, but they won't find him. Crowley's too good at hiding. I mean, it's a miracle that we found where he's located, but-"

"You know where he is?"

"Oh yeah."

"Then why don't we go and get him?" Sam stood up. "Ruby?" She smirked at him, pushing him back into the seat.

"Are you suggesting we go on a suicide mission? I don't know about you, but I'd like to live a bit longer."

"Then let's tell the search party where he is!"

"If they find him, they'll put him through the justice system instead of killing him on the spot. Is that what you want? For him to be able to get free and keeping doing the things he's doing?" Ruby asked.

"He might still get a death sentence, if he's as bad as you say."

"More likely than not, his lawyer will find a way to weasel him out of it. This isn't his first rodeo."

"What do you want me to do, then? I'm not going to be sitting here with my thumbs up my ass! I need to do something!"

"Then do your mission. The faster we kill Crowley, the faster this is all over."

"And how am I supposed to do that? You said it yourself, going there is a suicide mission!"

"Find out his motives." Ruby stated. She leaned in towards him. "Your father's missing. Dean's out of the country. Guess who's next in line as the head of the company and gets access to all the legal documents?" She asked him. "You. This may be our chance to see why Crowley's not directly taking over the company. Go check those documents out, will ya?"

* * *

When they arrived back at the house, Cas went straight to his room. Chuck tried to talk to him, but Cas brushed past. Chuck looked to Dean instead.

"Thank you for bringing him back. Really, you shouldn't have Mr. Winchester. Right?"

"Winchester. Dean Winchester." Dean confirmed.

"Well, Mr. Winchester, why don't you sit down and I can make it up to you over coffee."

"Sure thing." Dean slid into a seat at the table and Chuck passed a cup of coffee to him.

"So, Mr. Winchester. I take it that you've partnered up with my son's company."

"What?" Dean blinked before remembering the alibi that Gabriel had fed to him. "Ga- Mr. Novak's a very capable business partner. I'm thrilled to be working with him."

"Oh yes. By the way, I'm terribly sorry for the housing arrangements. I hope you find Castiel's room comfortable."

"Very. And don't worry about it. I've lodged in worse places." Dean assured Chuck.

Chuck sipped his coffee and nodded. "So, I was wondering what Winchester Motors Inc. would be doing partnered up with my son's company. He's always very vague about what his company's business is in, and I was hoping that you could enlighten me." Chuck smiled at him.

Dean's mind blanked. What was he supposed to say? He didn't know if Gabriel had hinted at something already. "Uh, yes, your son's company. It's very, very helpful, you know. A…" Dean tried to stall. "Very successful company. You should be proud of him. High-end-"

"-steel company." Gabriel finished, walking down the stairs. Dean nervously chuckled and nodded.

"Took the words right out of my mouth! Steel company, yes that's what I was going to say."

"Ah, I see. Interesting." Chuck nodded.

"Mr. Winchester, my brother is requesting to see you. He wishes to thank you. He will be upstairs in my room, of course." Gabriel said out loud, but he was relaying him a completely different message with his eyes. _Get out of here while you still can, I'll take care of my dad. My dumbass younger brother needs you right now._ Dean shot him a grateful look and hurried up the steps.

* * *

When Cas arrived home, he immediately went to his room. He couldn't deal with talking right now. Instead, he climbed into his bed and checked his phone. He a message from Meg.

**M: I got your number that u slipped to me with the bills. Very subtle. How r things workin out?**

Cas responded.

**C: I visited my parents. Not quite the reunion I was expecting, but it could've gone worse, I guess. Sorry for leaving you, though.**

To his surprise, Meg replied immediately.

**M: No problem. U had a good reason, right.**

**C: My gracious brother decided to visit me. Along with my friend. At least, he is my friend now.**

**M: friend?**

**C: We parted on bad terms. But we've reconciled now. It's one of the only good things that has come out of this trip.**

**M: What happened?**

**C: Turns out that my dad faked being sick in order to bring me home.**

**M: at least he cares enough to do that.**

**C: That's what Dean said too.**

**M: Dean?  
C: My friend.**

**M: Dean and i are both right.**

**C: I know, I know.**

The door opened suddenly, and Cas looked up to see Dean walking into the room. He closed the door behind him and flopped onto the bed next to Cas.

"Watcha doin' Cas?" Dean asked.

"I was talking with Meg."

"Who's Meg?"

"The woman I was with at the Roadhouse."

"Oh." Dean replied. Cas could see clear contempt on his face.

"You certainly could do a better job of covering up your dislike of her." Cas commented.

Dean rearranged his features. "Right. Sorry."

"No problem." Cas looked down at his phone again, receiving another message from Meg.

**M: cas, are you still there?**

**M: If u don't reply to this, i'm going to have to assume you're dead.**

**M: CAS**

Cas texted a quick reply.

**C: Sorry. I was talking to Dean. Talk later?**

**M: Sure.**

"Hey, Cas, what were you dreaming about last night when you woke up?" Dean asked. "You said it was a nightmare."

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Dean tried to play it off, but Cas knew that there was something up.

"This might be awkward, but, I, uh, was dreaming about you." Cas said.

Panic spread across Dean's face, but he masked it quickly. "A nightmare? About me? Pray tell the contents." He joked, but Cas faced him seriously.

"Dean, did something happen last night?" He asked.

"No."

"Dean."

"No…"

"Dean…" Cas goaded.

"Okay, okay. Yes. What was your dream about?"

"You were in it… and you were saying some things." Cas started. "Were they by any chance true?" He asked hesitantly.

"Look, man, I just-" Dean was interrupted by loud shouts. The bedroom door swung open and Chuck stood at the entrance with a frantic Gabriel behind them.

"Dad, don't-" He was saying.

"You lied to me." Chuck interrupted, looking at Cas and Dean. "The minute I saw you, Dean Winchester, I knew there was something off with you. You weren't quite what you seemed. And then you volunteered all too quickly to go after Castiel, and had no idea what your 'business partnership' with Gabriel was. So tell me, what are you really doing here?" He demanded.

Dean stood up, crossing his arms. "You want to know what I'm really doing here? Well for starters, Cas and Gabriel are my friends, and I came here to provide them moral support to face their _dying dad._ Oh, wait, I forgot. It's all just a scam. Guess I don't have to stay then, right? Because before you start accusing me of having ulterior motives, why don't you look at yourself?"

"Don't talk to me like that! You can't just barge into my home and criticize everyone in it."

"He has every right to!" Cas interrupted. "Especially since he has a valid point. You can't do what you've done to me, and then expect me to fall back into your arms as soon as you come calling!"

"Really?" Chuck said. "Because it seems as if you've done the very same thing with Dean."

"I don't-" Cas started.

"Don't play your games with me. I've been following your every move, ever since you left. I know what he's done to you, and yet here you are, back together again."

"We're not together."

"Oh, really? Then why are there two beds in here?" Chuck pointed out. "Honestly, Castiel. I was ready and willing to welcome you back, and then you go and do this with him?"

"We're not doing anything. We're friends." Dean said.

"You shouldn't be speaking. Get out of my house before I throw you out. This is a family matter, and you have no say in it!" Chuck told him pointedly. Dean stared at him for a moment before pushing roughly past Chuck.

"Fine. I don't want to deal with your bullshit anyway." He muttered. Chuck sighed, happy that one issue was out of the way. He turned back to Cas.

"Now that he's out of the way, we can finally talk freely. Look, Castiel, I just want you to know that I'm doing this in your best interests."

"No." Cas replied. Chuck looked taken aback.

"What?"

"I said no. Nothing you have ever done was in my best interest. I'm an adult now, and I can take care of my own life." Cas walked out of the door, following Dean.

* * *

It was early morning now, and Sam had spent the better part of the night in his father's office at Winchester Motors, looking through the library of documents his father had kept cluttered up in a drawer. He had yet to find the clause on transfer of leadership.

* * *

Ash finally had it. He had breached the encryption. Sure, it had taken him two days straight of no sleep and several gallons of caffeine, but it was the hardest thing he'd done in a while now, and it was fun. He'd have to thank Sam for that later. He started to pull out the drive to unplug it and give it to Sam, but against his better judgement, he didn't. He just wanted to know what could possibly warrant this much encryption...

* * *

Sam finally found it. He started reading through it anxiously.

_In event that the leadership of the company exchanges hands, it may only be passed to someone who is kin to the Winchester family._

* * *

Ash pressed on the first document. A picture popped up, of a beautiful young woman. He read the information next to her picture.

**Name:** Bela Talbot

**Sex:** Female

**Birthdate:** May 25th, 1982

**Birth Name:** Abbie MacLeod

**Parents:** Fergus MacLeod, unknown mother

* * *

Lilith sighed as the phone dialed once more. He could be very infuriating at times, but he _was_ her boss, and she had to respect him. Though he was known to be witty and funny, she knew from personal experience that it was just a thin veneer that covered his true personality.

She dialed him again, and this time, he picked up. "Lilith!" He shouted. "Good to see you've called in. How are things going back there at home base?"

"Very well, sir."

"Good, very good. And have you made any progress with Sam Winchester?"

"Oh, yes. He's almost completely on our side, now, trust everything we say."

"Has he done it yet, though?" Her boss asked. His voice kept the same cheerful tone, but there was an underlying threat to it.

"No, sir. But-"

"Ah, ah, ah, Lilith. No buts. This needs to happen, yes?"

"Yes, Mr. Lucifer."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um. Hello. Well, this is embarrassing. I think I skipped a day yesterday with updating my story. Oh well. New chapter!

Dean and Cas both ended up on top of the bank again. The air was still wet from the afternoon's rain, and the sun was starting to set.

"You didn't have to come." Dean told Cas when he slid in next to Dean. "You didn't have to follow me."

"Of course I did. I wasn't going to stay around after my dad told you to get out."

"Cas, you had a chance to make things better with your dad, and instead, you ran after me."

"He insulted you. Besides, he hasn't changed. I can tell from the way he acts. He talks about being proud of me and all, but I don't really think he meant it. This was bound to happen sooner or later anyway, and I would prefer it happen sooner so that I don't waste my time here when I could be somewhere else, doing something else."

"Your dad was right, you know. "

"About what?" Cas snorted.

"Your dad and I, we both hurt you, yet you still accepted me and not him. Why?"

"Perhaps it's because I have faith that you won't do the same to me again."

"You shouldn't keep that faith in me. I let people down. All the time."

"You're not a bad person, Dean." Cas said. He reached over and touched Dean's hand. "I refuse to believe it."

Dean chuckled. "Yeah. Right."

"Do you think we should go back?" Cas asked abruptly.

"To the house?" Dean said. "Probably shouldn't. The place's like a nuclear land mine right now."

"No, no. Not to the house. I mean back to the US."

"Well..."

"Dean, there's nothing left here for us. We did what we came here for. I talked to my dad. He hasn't changed. We can go home now."

"Are you sure you want this, Cas? If you leave now, your relationship with your family may not be the same anymore. I ain't saying that you should beg for forgiveness or whatever, but you should at least talk before you fly."

"I don't want anything to do with them anymore."

"At least to Gabriel. I mean, you know he only meant good. And your mom. Neither of them knew what was going on."

"Neither did Michael."

"Yeah, but he seems like a pretentious bastard." Dean proclaimed. Cas chuckled.

"He's not that bad. Wasn't like that growing up. I don't know what's changed. Probably my father."

"Really though, you should go talk to them before you leave. The only one you're angry at is your dad. Don't take it out on the rest of them."

Cas sighed, knowing that Dean was right. He had to talk to the rest of his family. It wasn't their fault, and he shouldn't have been taking his anger out on them. "Alright, I'll do it. But right before we leave. I'll schedule the flight for tomorrow morning so that you can go and get your stuff from the house. But for now, let me introduce you to the wonders of the nightlife here."

"Oh, hell yes." Dean replied with a smile.

Sam drove up to Ash's driveway. He had said that the drive was ready, but had sounded uncertain on the phone. Ash had texted him the gist of what was in the drive, and it had only confirmed his fears. Sam rung the doorbell, and the door swung open to reveal a worn Ash.

"Woah, dude. How long has it been since you slept?" He asked.

"I've gone longer." Ash shrugged, handing the file over to Sam. "But, Sam, are you sure you know what you're getting into? That file had some serious dirt on Bela. I mean, I learned somethings that I didn't expect. Be careful, 'kay?"

"Yeah. I know, Ash, okay?" Sam said. He grabbed the drive from Ash, turning back around to walk to his car. He paused before getting in, and called back to Ash. "Hey, Ash?"

"Yup?"

"How good are you at digging up info on people?"

"You mean online stalking? I'm decent. Why? You got someone you want to check?"

"Yeah? Can you tell me what you've got on a woman named Ruby?" Sam asked.

"Ruby? Sure thing, I'll try, but that's not a lot to go on."

"It's all I have."

"Well, we'll see." Ash replied, and shut the door. Sam sighed, getting into his car. He called Ruby, and she picked up immediately.

"What?"

"I have the drive."

"Meet me at the place."

"No." Sam said. "Meet me at my house."

"I can't. I don't want someone walking in on us again. What if they overhear?"

"There isn't going to be anyone there. Dean won't come back for another week, at least, and I'll make sure Alfrid stays away."

"No, Sam-"

"If you want it, come and get it." Sam cut in, and then promptly hung up. If his friends were right about one thing, it was that he needed to be wary of Ruby. It was time to get things onto his turf.

When he pulled up to the house, Ruby was already waiting there for him. Sam smirked. That had been easier than he thought.

"Where's the drive?" She demanded immediately. Sam pulled it out of his pocket. Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Wow, you weren't lying."

"Of course I wasn't." Sam said. Ruby held her hand out expectantly for the drive, but Sam didn't hand it over.

"Sam. Give me the drive." She said.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no. I get to check what's on this thing first. I have a hunch, and I need to confirm it." And if he was anything close to right, he needed to talk to Dean.

"You can check your hunch later. Just give me the damn drive!" Ruby lunged for it, but he pulled it easily out of her reach, dangling it over her head.

"I said I needed to use it first."

"If you don't give it to me-"

"What? My dad dies? Doesn't matter, because you're not in control of that anymore. For all I know, he could be dead now! I don't care, anymore, okay? You don't have any leverage over me."

"Sam-" Ruby growled.

"I'll tell you what. Let's make a deal. I'll give you the drive if you tell me where they're keeping my dad."

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Guess I can crush this under my feet, then." Sam smirked.

"You can't! You need it too."

"Well, I know someone who can tell me what the contents of this drive are. You however, don't. So if I crush this, then everything will be lost."

"I'm not going to tell you. You won't actually go through with it." Ruby threatened.

"You wanna bet?" Sam asked. "I'll drop it in 3… 2… 1…" The drive clattered to the ground. Sam hovered his heel over it, about to press down-

"Okay! Wait! I'll tell you. Just give me the drive first. Please." She said. Sam picked it up off the ground and held it in his hand.

"Tell first."

"Crowley's keeping your dad in his basement."

"Seriously?" Sam asked.

"Yes, seriously. Now give it." She said through gritted teeth. Sam handed it over without another word, and Ruby pocketed it quickly. She climbed into her car, about to leave, when Sam called out to her.

"When will I be able to see Lilith?" He asked.

"Soon. " She replied, and drove off.

When Dean had first met Cas, he hadn't pegged him to a happy drunk. The guy was always so in control of his emotions, it was comical to imagine him wallowing around. He should have known better.

Cas had actually held his liquor pretty well. After a couple drinks, Dean began to feel a warm buzz fill his body. Cas however, kept on downing the drinks, one after the other. It was impressive to watch.

"Dude, maybe you should cool it. One of us has to be able to drive home."

"And you're planning that it won't be you?"

"Well, no, but…"

"If it comes to it, we can always take a cab." Cas replied, and Dean watched him down another drink. He paused, looking at Dean. "I'm sorry, if I'm not very talkative. Coming back here brought up a lot of memories about the first time I left. It wasn't as painless then." He explained.

Dean shrugged. "No, it's okay. I just want to make sure that you're not doing this-" He gestured towards the drink "-because of that."

"I am not trying to drown my sorrows in alcohol, if that is what you're suggesting." Cas said. "But thank you for your concern." Dean just nodded.

"Whatever you say, buddy. Just don't want to be the one dragging you drunk ass home." Dean smirked.

"Are you suggesting that I'm not able to hold my drinks?" Cas scoffed.

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting." Dean rasped. They stared at each other.

"I propose a drinking contest." Cas announced. Dean laughed.

"Oh, you're on."

…

Four drinks later (Or was it five? Dean had lost count.) Cas was leaning on his shoulder, hands wrapped around Dean's waist.

"S'not fair ya know… why're you so hot? Should be illegal." Cas mumbled. Dean grunted, downing another drink. He was beginning to feel dizzy. He looked down at Cas, who wasn't faring any better. Still, though, he had won.

"Told ya you couldn't beat me." Dean smirked. Cas pouted at him.

"I don't care." Cas tried to straighten himself, failing spectacularly. Luckily, Dean was just sober enough to realize that it was probably time to go back to the house, though he quickly recognized that he couldn't take Cas home in this state. Sighing, he slapped money on the counter, dragging Cas to the door.

"Where're we goin'?"

"To a hotel." Dean hailed a cab, pushing Cas inside and then shutting the door.

"Why?"

"We're gonna spend the night there, Cas."

"Oh." Cas sighed contentedly and wrapped his hands around Dean's arm, leaning against his shoulder.

"Uh, Cas, can you not?"

"But it's so comfortable." Cas yawned. Dean snorted, but kept still.

When the cab finally reached the nearest motel, Cas and Dean got out. Dean walked towards the entrance, holding up a stumbling Cas. He could only imagine what the front desk person would think.

"I'd like a room for two please." He said. The woman, who was more of a young teenage girl, really, scrolled through her computer, frowning.

"I'm sorry, we only have a one bedroom room. Will that be okay?" She asked. Dean looked back at Cas, who was standing in the middle of the room, looking confused. He turned back and grimaced.

"Sure, we'll take that." He said, handing over his card. She smiled and took it.

"I'm sure you will." She said, looking between the two. Dean was so shocked that he didn't say anything as the girl handed over the room keys. "Have a good night." Dean grabbed the cards quickly and walked away, grabbing Cas by his arm. The result was that they fell into the elevator together, mostly because of Cas's lack of balance, with the young teen snickering at them.

When they arrived at their room, Cas practically fell on the bed. "God bless this blissful bed." He murmured. Dean chuckled.

"Okay, guess you can take the bed. I'll just go change." He entered the bathroom, splashing water on his face, he used his shirt to wipe it off, then tossed it aside.

"Dean." Cas called from the bedroom. Dean stuck his head out. Cas was staring down at his shirt, which was tangled. "I can't get it off." He mumbled. Dean sighed and walked over.

"Okay... just hold on." He tried to undo the button, but it wouldn't budge. Dean pulled harder, and suddenly the shirt split apart, button flying everywhere. Cas was yanked onto Dean from the force of the pull, and the two went tumbling to the floor.

Dean opened his eyes and saw blue; Cas's blue eyes, staring back at him. Their faces were dangerously close together. "Uh, Cas, maybe you should-" Dean started, but Cas stopped him with a kiss. He threaded his fingers into Dean's hair and pulled him closer, attacking Dean's lips fiercely. Dean groaned, and moved his hand up Cas's back, feeling a small bump as he passed.

Cas pulled away abruptly, breathing hard. His eyes were wide and bright. Dean's hand still rested on Cas's hip, where the raised skin was. He looked at it. Across Cas's back was a large scar.

"Cas. What…" Dean breathed.

"It wasn't as painless the first time." Cas whispered. Dean swallowed, realizing what he meant.

"Are you alright?" He ran his fingers over the scar again, and Cas let out a strangled breath.

"I need to sleep." He said, getting off the floor and climbing onto the bed.

"Cas…"

"Come sleep here. Please." Cas asked. Dean obliged, climbing into the bed and shutting off the light. And in the darkness of the room, Cas moved until he rested next to Dean, both of them comfortable in each other's warmth.


	13. Chapter 13

When Dean woke up, he was tangled up with Cas in the bed. The memories from the night came rushing back to him and he started to panic. Cas had kissed him. And he had kissed back. Dean took breaths to calm himself down and looked over at Cas. He looked peaceful sleeping there and Dean smiled a little.

He started to extract himself from Cas's grip, slowly moving to the other side of the bed, but Cas turned and shifted, waking up. "Dean?" He mumbled, voice low.

Dean swallowed and responded. "Hey. Mornin' sunshine. Did I wake you?" He asked.

Cas slowly sat up and nodded. "Yeah, but it's fine. If you're awake, then it's probably time that I get up too."

"Right." Dean said. "How are you feeling?"

Cas shook his head and then groaned. "Horrible." He said. Dean chuckled.

"Yeah, you were pretty wasted."

"Ugh. I hope I didn't do anything embarrassing. Did I?" He asked.

"You-" Dean's words were caught in his throat. "You don't remember anything?"

Cas shook his head then clutched it. "I should stop doing that. But, no, there's nothing." He turned towards Dean, looking at the expression on his face. "Did I do something?" He asked.

"No, no. I- just we both kinda passed out on the bed once we reached the hotel. Must've been why I slept on the bed with you."

"Oh." Cas replied. His phone buzzed with a message on the nightstand, and Cas picked it up and read it. "Gabe said he could bring our stuff to us. We should probably get dressed."

"Yeah. I'll uh, I'll go." Dean said, still in shock. Castiel seemed to pick up on it.

"Dean, are you alright? Are you sure that nothing happened?" He asked.

Dean gave his best winning smile. "Yeah, I'm great."

* * *

"Here." Gabe tossed Dean's stuff onto the bed. "I thought you'd want these."

"Yeah, thanks." Dean said.

"Are you going to come back?" Gabriel asked.

Cas shook his head, walking into the room. "Well, actually, I booked our flight back today." Gabriel face fell. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. I should've known it wouldn't work out anyway." Gabriel shrugged. Cas gave a small smile.

"I wish it could've. It was nice being back here with you all. How are things back home?"

"Well, Mom hasn't talked to Dad since yesterday, I've been out and about, and Michael doesn't know what to do with himself. He's been flitting around Dad all day, doesn't talk but still stays around him." Gabriel told Cas, who nodded in response.

"Tell Mom that I love her and I'll call as soon as I land. Take care, Gabriel."

"Yeah, yeah." Gabriel said, hugging his brother and shaking Dean's hand. The trio headed down to the lobby and Cas went to hand in their keys.

"So Dean, what happened?" Gabriel asked.

"What?"

"You're walkin' around Cas as if he's a landmine. What did he do?"

"We went out to get drinks last night and then he kissed me." Dean confided.

"And what? Now he doesn't remember?"

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, man. I don't want to pressure him or anything. Hell, it may just be a drunk mistake and I'm reading in between the lines too much." Dean said miserably. Gabriel snorted.

"They call it liquid courage for a reason, you know. If it wasn't in his mind already, he wouldn't do it." He said. Cas walked over just then, cutting their conversation.

"Ready to go?" He asked. Dean nodded, shouldering his bags.

"Yeah." Dean followed Cas out of the motel. This was going to be a long plane ride.

* * *

On the other side of the world, Crowley was lounging in his house. It was pitiful that he had to be holed up in here when he could have been doing so much more with his life. It wasn't really his fault though, that he was here, chasing down a multi-million dollar company. And how he had arrived at this? Well, that was a story for another day.

Crowley sighed, standing up and stretching. He made his way slowly down to the basement. It was a Saturday. Officially one week until Dean's wedding, and one week until Winchester Motors would be his and he could finally be free of the burden that had been weighing on his shoulder for 10 years.

In the basement was John Winchester, tied up in a chair. It was a pleasing sight, and it hadn't required any extra effort on his part.

"Are you enjoying your accommodations, Mr. Winchester?" He asked pleasantly. John didn't answer, merely glaring at him in response. Crowley sighed. "Very well. We'll skip the niceties then. I suppose you're wondering why I brought you here." He gestured to the basement. "Especially what with you son's wedding coming up in a week. Big event, I'm sure. Everything planned out well?" Crowley asked. He was once again met with silence, which probably had to do with the gag he had tied around the elder Winchester. Rolling his eyes, he tugged it free with a swift motion.

"Son of a bitch." John spat immediately. "Let me out of here."

"Tempting, but not yet." Crowley said.

John laughed maniacally. "They'll notice I'm gone. They'll come for me."

"Oh, yes. In fact, I'm counting on it." Crowley shot a rapier smile. "Your youngest son, that lanky moose. Sam, right? He's a smart one, but he doesn't know what he's gotten into. Not fully. He's in over his head."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Of course you don't. He's kept it very well hidden. But I keep my tabs. The lad's tangled up with all the wrong sorts of people." Crowley mused.

"You leave him alone. It's me you want. Not him."

"Can't assure you of that. Not when he's interfering in our deal. And besides, it isn't up to me anyway. The mess he's gotten in? Entirely his fault." Crowley said. He stalked slowly over to John and untied him from the chair. "But I'll tell you what. Since I'm so generous, I'll let you go. Go and warn Sam. Tell him to stop meddling. If he doesn't, I think you and I both know what will happen."

* * *

Ruby was tired of all of it. She was tired of acting. She knew that the orders came from high up on the line, though, and it was the only that kept her from throwing everything away and leaving. She needed a way to live, after all.

At first, it had been easy. Easy to manipulate Sam, to take the worried young lawyer and convince him that what he was doing was good, that he could save his father, that everything would turn out alright in the end. All lies, of course, but that didn't matter. What did was that he believed them.

Lately though, Sam had been doubting himself more and more. It was harder to keep him on a leash and monitor his actions. He had gotten more and more demanding. Like meeting at his house, for instance. On the rare occasion that Ruby reached out to Sam and not the other way around, he insisted that they meet at his house. And so here Ruby was, driving to the Winchester Estate.

She pulled up to the house without a hassle. At least Sam had had the decency to warn his butler this time, who also seemed to act as a bodyguard, though a bad one at that. He was old and feeble, and it had only taken one punch last time to get past him to see Sam. Ruby shut the door of her car and walked up to the house, high heels clicking on the pavement. The door swung open before she could ring the doorbell, a breathless Sam behind it.

"Good. You're here." He said, leading her inside the house and into the study where they had met last time. He shut the door firmly.

"So Sam, I looked through the files you gave me, and I found some very interesting infor-"

"I know." He cut in. "Bela is Crowley's daughter, the child of some prostitute from the street. No wonder she doesn't take pride in her parentage. And it's also stated that only a relative of the Winchester family can take control of the company. Which means-"

"That Crowley is planning to take your dad's company? Yeah, we already knew that."

"But now we know how. All we have to do is prevent the wedding from ever happening."

"And what's your genius plan?"

"I need to talk to my dad and convince him that what he's doing is wrong."

"Except for the fact that he's locked up in Crowley's basement." Ruby pointed out.

Sam smirked. "About that. I told the police where he is. They're about to get him now."

Ruby exploded. "What? Sam! I told you not to do that! Do you know what will happen?"

"No, which is why I did it. I don't understand why I can't just go get him. Once the police get wind of what he did he'll be managed properly."

"I already told you," Ruby said angrily. "That they won't kill him."

"And is that a bad thing? I don't know what he did to you, but I don't care. I'm doing this my way." Sam declared. As if emphasizing that fact, his phone rang. Sam frowned and looked over at it. I was from an unknown number. Hesitantly, Sam picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hello Moose." A raspy voice replied.

"Who is this?"

"Ah, I forgot you don't know. My name's Crowley. I'd much prefer to meet in person, but this will have to do."

"Crowley?" Sam said. How had he gotten his phone number? Ruby grabbed the phone from Sam and put it on speaker phone.

"Crowley. Why did you call?" She asked.

"Ruby, isn't it?" Crowley said. "Relax. I just wanted to give you a little gift. Turn on the TV to channel 5, will you?" Ruby did, and nearly killed Sam for what she saw. The police were breaking into Crowley's house. But as they explored, they found everything empty and abandoned. Over the phone, Crowley chuckled.

"You see, Sam. I've been playing this game a lot longer than you have. Try to pull a trick on me, and it will backfire. I am always 10 steps ahead." The line went dead.

Ruby whirled on him immediately. "You see what you've done! He's gone, and now we have no idea where he is! You've ruined everything, Sam!"

"I didn't know…" Sam started.

"No, you didn't, which is why you should listen to me!" Ruby took a deep breath, calming herself. "This is it, Sam. This is the last mistake you get. You will do exactly as we tell you. Nothing else."

* * *

The flight back wasn't any easier. Dean was already settled in with a drink in his hand, gripping the seat tightly. Cas was settled in the seat next to him, looking at him with concern.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked. Dean nodded curtly.

"Yes." He closed his eyes and tried not to stare out the window. Seeing the distance from the ground would only heighten his worries.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked. Dean shook his head.

"I just need a distraction." He replied. Sighing, he turned on the mini TV in front of him and started to watch reruns of Dr. Sexy. That only lasted so long though, and by the time he had watched all the episodes available, there were still 3 hours left on the flight. Dean looked over at Cas, who was reading a book. Cas looked up.

"Done already?" He asked.

"They only had 10 episodes available to watch" Dean said glumly. Cas nodded.

"So, you kissed me last night." He brought up casually. Dean choked on his drink.

"How do you know?"

"You and Gabe weren't that quiet. I'm pretty sure that the concierge heard as well."

Dean groaned. "And she already thought that we were a couple."

Cas chuckled, but then turned serious. "Did you mean everything you said?" He asked. "About thinking it was a mistake?"

Dean took a deep breath. "Look, Cas. I don't want to pressure you into anything. It was just a mistake, okay? Everyone does stupid things when they're drunk. It's no biggie. We'll just pretend that it never happ-" Dean was cut off by Cas leaning in to kiss him firmly.

"Does this seem like a drunk mistake to you?" He asked in a low voice. "I meant it then, and I do now too. I want this, Dean." Cas laced his fingers with Dean's. "I want to be with you."

Dean gave a small smirk. "I think I can make that happen." He said, lunging towards Cas. Needless to say, Dean had found his distraction.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another fluff chapter! I'm going to go ahead and post the other two chapter so that I'll be at the same place on both sites I'm posting on! After this, updates won't be as quick. It'll probably take me a week, maybe more to finish writing a chapter. But meanwhile, enjoy and comment if you like it!

The flight had finally landed. Cas and Dean both climbed off the plane, walking towards only building in the airstrip. Dean tugged on the doors, but they were locked.

"So what now?" Dean asked. Cas shrugged.

"Well, I was going to leave town before Gabriel came and go back to my apartment in New York... He started, but he hesitated. He didn't want to leave so soon.

"You don't have to go yet." Dean said, as if he was reading Cas's mind.. "I mean, you can come over to my house to stay if you need to." He looked over at Cas hopefully. Cas did want to go, but he suddenly felt insecure. It would be the first time he had visited Dean's house since back when they first met, and he didn't want to stretch their still-fragile relationship.

"Well…"

"This isn't just an invitation. I want you to come." Dean encouraged him.

"Okay, fine. But only because you insist. I don't want to be a burden to you."

Dean grinned as he went to call Sam to ask him to pick them up. "Oh, Sam is going to be so surprised to see you." He chuckled.

"I hope I make a good impression." Cas commented.

"Are you kidding? He's already salivating over your music, I'm sure he'll love you, just like I-" Dean stopped. "Just like everyone else." He finished. Fortunately, Cas didn't seem to notice his mistake, but the unsaid words still echoed in his mind. Just like I do.

Sam picked up the phone. "Dean? Why are you calling so late? Isn't it almost midnight there?"

"Well, we flew home this morning and we're currently waiting at an airstrip. Gabriel let us use his plane, but decided we didn't need a car when we arrived, for some reason." He grumbled. "Can you come pick us up?"

"Us?"

"Yeah, Cas and I both came."

"Wait, Castiel's there too?"

"Yeah, genius. And we need someone to pick us up." Dean snorted. He heard scrambling in the background.

"Yeah, yeah, okay I'm coming. I'll be there in 5." Sam said, and hung up abruptly.

"Okay, then." Dean muttered.

"Is he coming?" Cas asked. Dean nodded.

"Yeah, we'll have to wait a bit, though."

"That's fine." Cas said. They both stood in the empty lot, at loss for what to say.

"So, Cas, how's touring around the country?" Dean finally broke silence.

Cas shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. It's very busy."

"You on a break or something right now?" Dean asked.

"Yes. Our next tour starts in early December. I'll have to return back to New York in about a 2 weeks to practice and get ready."

"Oh," was all Dean replied.

"What about you? Anything interesting of late?" Cas asked.

"Nah, not really. I ain't got much free time with my dad priming me up to take over the company." Dean was suddenly struck with the reminder of what Sam had told him a couple nights back. Their father was missing. Had he been found yet?

"Dean?" Cas asked in a concerned tone. "All you alright?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "It's just, so much has changed, y'know? I'm not the same person I was ten years ago. Shit's happened and my whole life is screwed up and I don't want to bring you into this mess. I'm just not used to being happy, and you are one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I don't want to ruin this too."

Cas looked at him. "Good things do happen, Dean."

"Not in my experience." Dean said softly. The rumble of an engine and the sound of wheels driving over gravel alerted them to Sam's presence.

"Hey." Sam said. "Sorry I'm late. I had some things to take care of."

"It's fine. You were right on time." Dean climbed into the passenger seat, leaving Castiel to sit in the back.

Sam's eyes widened when he saw Castiel. "Um, Mr. Novak, I'm so honored to meet you. I mean, I have met you before, but you were unconscious and so was Dean and your brother had to introduce you, so I don't think that really counts, but I'm a big fan, and I can't believe Dean knew you before, he didn't even tell me-"

"Sam." Dean smirked. "You're blabbering. Shut up and take us home, will you?" He said.

"Yeah. Um, yeah. Of course. Sure." Sam blinked, starting on the drive home. "So, Gabriel told me that you two used to be together. I don't recall you mentioning that, Dean."

"What? No, we weren't. We were never together."

"Well, actually, we are now." Cas stated. Sam whipped his head around and looked at Cas.

"Wait, are you two…?" Sam looked between Cas and Dean.

"I guess so." Cas said. At the same time, Dean shook his head.

"It's not like that." Cas furrowed his eyebrows, a hurt expression on his face. Dean quickly tried to fix his statement. "I mean, we are, but- I don't know. Can we not talk about this now? Please?" Dean asked. Cas turned away, looking out the window, and Sam looked at his brother, concerned. But he knew better than to press and instead struck up a conversation with Castiel about his music. Dean sighed and looked away. He had only been with Cas for a couple hours now and already he had fucked things up. Nice job, Winchester.

The car ride seemed to go on for an eternity, even though the airstrip was only a few minutes away from their house, so Dean was very grateful when they finally pulled up in the driveway. Except for the fact that there was another car there. Dean climbed out of the car and knocked on the window of the other vehicle. The window rolled down, revealing an attractive blonde.

"Hey. Private property." Dean said. "No parking."

The blonde smirked. "I know. I was waiting for Sam." Dean stepped back and let Sam get a view of the woman.

"Hey Sammy. D'you know her?" He asked. Sam eyes widened.

"Yeah. Um, yeah." The woman stepped out of the car, leaning against it. "Ruby, this is Dean, my brother. Dean, this is Ruby."

"His girlfriend. She announced. Dean whistled.

"Woah, Sam, you didn't tell me you had a thing going."

"Uh, yeah, um, I forgot." He stuttered.

"You forgot?" Dean snorted in disbelief.

"Come on, Sam. We have to go." Ruby said, grabbing Sam and dragging him towards the car."

"Go where?" Sam looked like a deer in headlights, glancing back and forth between Dean and Ruby.

"Our date." She said, shoving Sam into the car.

Dean smirked, waving at the couple as the pulled out of the driveway. "Have fun Sam!" He yelled.

"Shut up, jerk." Sam called back.

"Don't forget to use a condom, bitch!" Dean shouted gleefully at the retreating car. Beside him, Cas laughed.

"You're just like Gabriel sometimes. He would do that to me too, tease me all the time. It annoyed me to no end."

Dean shrugged, relieved that Cas was talking to him about something normal. "It's part of the older brother code. You gotta tease them or else they get too cocky." He said solemnly.

"I was never cocky." Cas said. "Gabriel did it for fun."

"Can't help with that. But I don't blame him. You're cute when you're embarrassed." Dean said, and then blushed, clearing his throat. "Anyway, let me show you inside." They stepped in and Dean led Cas through the halls. Cas looked around, absorbing the layout of the house and the intricate details in the architecture of the old house.

"Hey, Dean?" He asked. "Is that a music room?" Cas peered through the doorway.

"Yeah, my dad bought a bunch of these instruments but we never use them. You can go look inside if you like." Cas bolted into the room before Dean finished his sentence, sliding into the sleek bench of the grand piano. He lifted the lid, dusting off the keys gently. Dean chuckled, entering the room after him. Tentatively, Cas pressed a key, wincing when it was horribly out of tune.

"Sorry." Dean apologized, taking a seat in a nearby chair. "We never used it, you'll probably have to tune it a bit." Cas shrugged, reaching into the piano.

"It's fine. My grandmother's piano was frequently out of tune. I often had to do it myself." Cas searched around until he found a tuning wrench in a box, and brought it back to the piano. It took a while, but the piano was finally tuned, and Cas sat down at the bench once more. He started to play a short, lively tune, and Dean leaned forward, watching him intently. When Cas finished the song, he looked over and saw Dean staring at him.

"What?" Cas asked defensively. Dean shrugged, smiling.

"Nothing. I just like watching you play. You seem happy." Dean commented.

"Yeah. It brings back many memories from my childhood. Like this song. It was one of the first I ever learned, and I'll always associate it with the last Christmas that I remember my family celebrating together. I played it for them then." Cas sighed contentedly, closing the lid of the piano and turning towards Dean. "Someone of my skill should be playing complicated music, but I've found that it's always the little songs that make me happy. The small minuets and serenades from my childhood are all tied to all the good memories I have."

"Yeah, it's always the small gestures that are the nicest." Dean smiled at Cas.

"And the smallest words that hurt the most." Cas replied coolly. Dean winced.

"No, Cas, come on, it's not like that." He started to apologize, but Cas brushed him off.

"It's fine Dean. I shouldn't have said that. It's fine." He repeated. Dean snorted, walking over to sit next to Cas on the piano bench.

"Like hell it is. I was being stupid back in the car. I didn't want Sam to know yet, so I blew you off and told Sam it was nothing. But this isn't nothing to me Cas. This relationship, you, it's everything I have, and I'm sorry for hurting you." He apologized seriously. "I mean, this is what I was talking about, about screwing things up. We've only just started this and I've already made you hate me." Dean sighed, pushing his hair back from his forehead.

"I don't hate you." Cas said softly to him. "I don't, really. And I get it. There's so much history between us, and I don't want to mess things up so soon either. This is new to me too. You were my first love, Dean, and we've waited this long for this to happen. I can wait longer for everyone else to know. If you don't want to anyone to know yet, I'm okay with it being just us for now."

Dean looked up at Cas in awe "Just us." He echoed softly. "What did I ever do to deserve a boyfriend so amazing?" He smiled gratefully at Cas.

"I've been asking myself the same question." Cas murmured. He leaned forward and kissed Dean lightly, ghosting over his lips.

"What was that for?" Dean asked. "Not that I minded." He said quickly. Cas shrugged, putting his arm around Dean and lifting up the piano lid again.

"Nothing." He said. "It's just that the last time we were in this position, I never got to kiss you."

"Or teach me how to play." Dean pointed out.

"Or teach you how to play." Cas agreed. "How about we remedy that?" Dean grinned.

"Sure thing, my magnificent music maestro." He sang.

Cas snorted. "You're going to have to stop that alliteration if we're going to be dating."

"No can do, my perfect piano-playing prodigy." Dean shot back.

"Shut up and watch me play, will you?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter.

Dean woke up to bright sunlight streaming through the window. For a moment it jarred him. The orientation of the bed was all wrong, there were too many windows, and the mattress was plush and soft instead of flat. Then he remembered that he wasn't in Russia anymore.

Slowly, Dean shifted around in his bed, trying to find a comfortable spot that he could sleep in. He stretched out his legs, yawning slowly. Then his leg hit something. It was warm, so Dean figured it was another pillow. God knows he had too many of those. Grunting, he shoved it out of his way with his leg until he could sufficiently stretch out his body. Sighing in contentment, he then nestled his head into a pillow and meandered back to his half-sleeping dreamland.

He was just starting to drift off again when that pesky pillow came back, covering his leg. Dean sighed in annoyance and pushed it over again. Except this time he hit something solid. Dean frowned, poking at it once more. It was solid still. That wasn't right. Dean frowned and turned to his side to see what the problem was.

Holy shit. Dean peeled back the covers slowly to reveal spikes of messy, dark hair. It was Cas. Cas was in his bed, sleeping next to him, a slight frown on his face from Dean shoving what turned out to be his leg. Dean's mind flew through possibilities before he remembered that nothing had happened. They had chosen to just sleep. And Dean would be lying if he said that it wasn't the best night of sleep he had gotten in awhile.

Sitting up in the bed slowly, Dean grabbed a pillow from nearby and hit Cas with it to wake him up. Cas squirmed, shifting around in the bed, but his eyes remained closed. Dean grinned maliciously. He was going to have to bring out the big guns. Leaning forward slowly, he put his lips next to Cas's ears, his breath tickling the hairs on the back of Cas's neck.

"Hey. Wake up." He whispered. Cas rolled over, pushing Dean away with a groan and a few unintelligible sounds. Dean smiled, moving down and placing a kiss at the nape of Cas's neck, a spot that Dean knew was particularly ticklish at.

Cas shot up, pushing Dean away with a whine. "Dean!" He tried to sound angry, but it was lost in the morning grogginess of his voice.

"Boy, you're not a morning person, are you?" Dean asked.

"No." Came the curt reply. Cas was already snuggling back into the covers.

"Come on, Cas." Dean said, getting out of the bed, but Cas pulled him back.

"You're taking all the warmth with you. Don't go." He said. Dean chuckled, running his hands through Cas's bedhead. It was a simple thing, but something that he had wanted to do for a long time.

"I have to, babe. No choice." He grabbed his phone. "It's 10:00. We should get up."

"Oh!" Cas said suddenly, sitting up. "I forgot. I told Meg I'd meet her for brunch at 11:00 today." He looked over at Dean who had a frown on his face. Cas smiled reassuringly. "It's just two friends meeting up, Dean. Don't worry." He said. "In fact, she was one of the people who helped me realize my, ah, feelings towards you."

Dean nodded. "Tell her I said thanks, then."

Cas smiled. "Will do. Actually, you can join us. Do you want to come?" He offered.

"Sure." Dean replied. "But if we're going, we actually, y'know, need to get out of bed." He said.

"I know." Cas grumbled. "But you're welcome to take the bathroom first. I'm perfectly content sitting here."

"Or," Dean suggested, smirking. "We could go together."

Cas sighed, finally climbing out of the bed. "I would love to, but I'm afraid that we'll be late if I take up that offer."

"Suit yourself." Dean said, walking into the bathroom. "I'll be waiting if you...change your mind." He winked at Cas and sauntered in. And naturally, Cas followed him a moment later.

* * *

When Dean and Castiel finally came down the steps, it was already 10:50. "Come on, Dean, we're going to be late!" Cas called.

"If you hadn't done that… thing, we would be there already." Dean grumbled, buttoning up his shirt.

"As I recall, you were the one begging for it." Cas replied, smirking.

"Okay, um, younger brother entering here, I don't need to hear anything else." Sam walked into the room with a grimace on his face.

"Hey, Sammy, how was your night? You came home pretty late." Dean called.

"Fine." Sam replied curtly. "It was fine."

"Oh." Dean nodded. He walked over to his brother and pulled him aside. "Have you got anything about Dad?" He said it a softer voice. Sam's face crumbled.

"I don't know. I mean, I thought I knew where he was, but when I checked, there was nothing." He said.

"How does a multimillionaire just go missing? I mean, someone's gotta seen him." Dean said frustratedly.

"About that," Sam started. "I have something to tell you." Sam took a deep breath, steadying himself. Now was the right time to tell Dean about everything. He had no idea how his brother would react, but he knew Dean would be even angrier if he found out from someone else.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, diverting both brother's attention. Dean looked at Sam. "Expecting anyone?" He asked. Sam shook his head. Dean walked towards the door and opened it cautiously.

"Hey, Dean. I see you're back." John Winchester said.


	16. Chapter 16

John walked right in, pushing past Dean as if everything was normal. Footsteps echoed in the hallway signaling Sam's arrivals. "Hey, Dean, who…?" The question died on his lips. "Dad?"

John tossed an icy glance towards Sam, who frowned. "Sam." John said. "Glad to see you're still here." He turned towards Dean again and clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's go."

Dean cleared his throat. "Actually, I was going to-"

"Dean, are you ready to go?" Cas's voice wafted in before he too joined the congregation. He stopped abruptly when he saw John standing in the foyer.

"Like I was saying, I was actually going to go out with Cas for brunch." Dean smirked at his dad, deciding that this was the perfect time to single him out about Cas. "You remember him, right? The pianist at the concert you held. We kinda hit off there. Turns out he was in Lawrence a while back, but I didn't remember it." He glared at his dad.

John, to his credit, kept a placid face. "Yes, well, I'm afraid your little meeting will have to wait. We need to attend an urgent press conference about the future of Winchester Motors and it would look bad if the heir to the company wasn't there." He said in a clipped voice.

Dean looked over at Cas apologetically. "Cas, I'm so sorry, I have to go to this"

Cas gave him a reassuring smile. "It's alright, Dean. Meg and I'll be waiting for you at the coffee shop when you're done.

Dean nodded giving Cas a firm hug. He was well aware of both Sam's and John's eyes on them, but he didn't care. "Thanks man." He said to Cas. He nodded at Sam, who was still staring at their father, and then walked out to John's car.

* * *

The silence in the car ride was deafening. Dean could practically see the waves of anger radiating off of John. Finally, the tense silence was broken. "So, I see you and Cas are very close." He said.

Dean waited a moment before replying. "Yeah, we jumped right back where we left off all those years ago."

John's eyes flashed with anger. "I see. And I suppose you haven't told him that you're getting married are you? I'm sure he'll want an invitation." He looked over at Dean, who swallowed.

"Don't you dare hurt him. Don't tell him." He whispered, turning away from his dad to look out the window.

"I won't be the one he's angry at when he finds out, now will I? And he will find out. Trust me."

"You bastard." Dean growled, gripping his seat tightly to prevent himself from lashing out at John.

"I'm not the villain here, Dean. Everything I've done, it's been for you. Every decision I've made was so that you could have a good future. I am your father, Dean. I care about you. It's just you who's too blind to see."

* * *

Cas sat at a table in the corner of the coffee shop, scrolling through his emails. Emails from his orchestra director were flooding in. Cas played for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. It was September now, which meant that concerts would be starting again. The orchestra got the month of August off. No concerts at all. There were rehearsals, but as a pianist, Cas got leeway. He didn't have to appear until crunch time, which according to the director, was in a week. After that, they would start performing again.

"Hey Clarence. Where's your hottie boyfriend?" Meg asked, appearing next to his table.

"Dean? He's at a meeting with his father. He said he would be joining us as soon as he could." Cas said, opening the newest email.

"I see." She said, sliding into the seat across from him.

"Oh, look at that." Cas said, reading the email. "My orchestra is holding a fundraiser concert and we're supposed to bring someone. Do you think Dean would like to go?"

"Dean? Probably. Isn't the whole party thing completely his scene?" Meg asked.

Cas nodded. "So, what's up with you? You look exhausted."

Meg gave a small laugh. "So you noticed, huh?" She sighed. "Well, it's nothing really. I quit my job."

"You did?" Cas asked, surprised.

"Yeah, well, my boss was a jerk, for one. And I mean, it was the same thing everyday. Wake up, go to work, read patient files, sweet talk people to make them feel better about themselves, go home. Gets boring sometimes. I wouldn't mind some change."

"Don't we all." Cas muttered in agreement. Suddenly, he got an idea. "Hey, would you like to come too?"

"Come where?" Meg asked.

"To the concert. It never said that I couldn't bring more than one guest, and you could use a break from here, couldn't you?."

"Where and when?"

"New York, and in about two weeks."

Meg laughed. "Sign me up." She looked over back to the counter. "Anyway, I should be getting back to work."

"Yeah, finish up your shift. Dean should be here soon." Cas said, looking back down at his phone to see if any message from Dean had arrived.

"Hey, Cas how does Dean look?"

"Um, green eyes, brown hair, freckles. Why?" Cas asked, looking up at her. Meg pointed towards the TV, which was airing a news channel.

"Is that him?" She asked. Cas whipped his head towards the screen and looked. Sure enough, Dean was sitting there, John at his side, with a news reporter in front of them. He was smiling, but Cas knew that it was fake and strained. Cas moved closer so that he could hear what the news reporter was saying.

"So, Dean Winchester. You're young, with so much potential for success in front of you. I mean, you've just inherited your father's company. How does it feel?"

"It's great, actually. I feel like this is what my whole life has been building up for, y'know." Dean said, smiling. The news reporter nodded.

"Anything else you're looking forward too?"

"As CEO, I'll be having a bit more leeway with my work hours. I won't have to go the full eight hours."

"And what are you planning to do with that extra free time?"

"Definitely spending it with my family and loved ones." Dean replied.

The reporter giggled. "Oh? Anyone special?"

Dean opened his mouth, and Cas could see his hesitation. Was he going to tell everyone now? Beside him, Meg was still looking at the screen. "Actually, yes." Dean grinned. "Honey, can you come out here?"

From the back, a young, beautiful woman emerged and she sat next to Dean. The reporter looked surprised.

"Ms. Talbot?" The reporter asked.

Bela laughed. "Oh, I won't be Ms. Talbot for very long." She held up her ring finger. On it was a sparkling diamond ring. The reporter gaped, squealing a little.

"Oh my god! You two are so cute together! Congratulations to you, Mr. and Mrs. Winchester! When is the wedding?"

Bela grinned. "This Saturday, in 5 days. You're all invited!"

The reported asked another question, but Cas couldn't hear it. His heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to process what was happening on the screen. Swallowing, Cas stood up, stumbling out of the shop. Meg called out after him, but he ignored her.

Cas made it out to the car before he collapsed against it. His phone was buzzing in his hand. Dean, The caller ID read. He tossed it to the side in frustration, before he went to pick it up. No sense in wasting a good phone on a stupid person. It was then he realized that he was leaning against the Impala.

He allowed himself to scream in anguish. How could he have been so foolish to allow himself to believe that he actually had a chance with Dean? Dean had already left him once. He should've known better than to think that he wouldn't do it again. Yelling in frustration, he grabbed the Impala's keys and raked his hand across the car, leaving a lasting mark.

* * *

Dean raced to the coffee shop, hoping that Cas would still be there. If only he could have a chance to explain, maybe Cas would understand. He pulled into an empty space and started to run into the shop when he saw the Impala. Dean walked over, catching sight of a small pile on top of it. It was the keys to the car and a handwritten letter written in Cas's slanting script. Dean grabbed it immediately and began to read.

_Dean,_

_By the time you read this letter, I will be at the airport. Don't follow me. Don't try. Don't give me any more excuses. I don't want them. You made your choice, and now I have made mine. And frankly, it was something that I should have done the moment I saw Gabriel here with you. It would have saved me much pain. But then again, I never had a choice, did I? Ever since I met you, I was drawn to you and that's how it shall always be._

_On another note, I apologize for the damage to your car._

Dean looked up briefly, seeing a long scratch on the side.

_I have included money inside the car that should hopefully cover the cost of the repairs. I wasn't exactly in prime emotional state when it happened, so I am sorry. I am so, so sorry for everything._

_I wanted it to work out. I wanted so desperately for everything to just fall into place. You brought a ray of light into my dark world when I first met you. You were everything I needed and more. I wanted a perfect life. I wanted to settle down in a home with my instrument and children and a ring on my finger. I wanted to marry someone that I loved and you were that to me._

_Yes, I did love you. I do love you, in fact. I love you, Dean Winchester. I don't think I really realized that until recently and I wish I knew sooner so that I could tell you._

_Looking back at it all, I don't regret a single moment I've spent with you. Being around you, even as a friend, it has produced some of the best memories I have. What we had, it was something beautiful._

_Although I want it to be, this isn't an invitation to be together again, because that isn't good for either of us. It's a goodbye. As much as love you, I want someone who will love me the same, and you clearly didn't. Treat Bela well, Dean. Don't do to her what you've done to me._

_Cas_

Dean collapsed to his knees, pushing back tears. That dumb, stupid, idiotic sonofabitch. He loved Dean. And Dean loved him. Dean loved him. As the realization of what he had lost hit him, a tear slid down his cheek and fell onto the paper. It was all lost. Cas was gone.

* * *

The wedding came and passed. It was a big event in the tabloids. Bela was all smiles. Dean was too. But both because they had to be. Bela had made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with Dean. He would continue living in the Winchester house, she would live in hers, but they would both make at least weekly appearances to their luxury apartment for the sake of keeping up the charade of a happy couple. Dean didn't know what Bela got out of the deal, but she didn't seem inclined to share.

The "big day" was a whirlwind of movement. Ask anyone else in the public what the color of Dean's tie had been or the specific way Bela's hair had been styled and they would give the answer in a snap, but Dean couldn't recall it for the life of him. He had just been going through the motions.

It had been three weeks since the wedding, and now it was almost October. Dean had tried to call Cas, of course, but he never picked up. He had tried texting too, but got the same result.

Meg had disappeared as well. She had been the first person that Dean tried to go to. He knew that she worked at the coffee shop, but everyone there said that Meg had left a while back. Dean could only think that she had gone with Cas. It hurt. It hurt every single day knowing that he had lost possibly one of the only people who cared about him.

Sam, meanwhile, had been having a good time. It was nice to see him happy for once. He had asked Dean where Cas went after he stopped appearing at the Winchester house, but when Dean didn't reply, Sam kept silent as well. He seemed to be busy in his own things, though. More often than not, Dean would find him with his girlfriend Ruby. She seemed alright, if not a bit blonde for Dean's tastes. Dean would catch them whispering secret things to each other. Today was one of those days.

Sam and Ruby were standing in the foyer, murmuring to each other. "Heya Sammy, you gonna show her to Dad yet?" Dean asked. Sam glared at him. Every time their father came home, Ruby seemed to disappear. Sam claimed that she was busy with work, but Dean still didn't know what she did.

"Can you go, Dean? Ruby and I are discussing things." Sam said.

"What, you don't got any time for your older brother?"

"Nope. We're busy." Ruby said, smirking.

"Right." Dean nodded, rolling his eyes. "Well, if you two need anything, I'm gonna be going out."

"Don't you think it's a bit early to be drinking?" Ruby asked.

"It's happy hour somewhere." Dean said.

Sam looked over at him. "You sure you'll be fine?" He asked, concern clouding up his eyes. Dean gave a half-smile.

"Yeah I'll be fine." He opened the doors.

Crowley was standing immediately on the opposite side. Dean took a few steps back in surprise. "Oh, Mr. Crowley, is there anything I can do for you?" He asked politely. Crowley flashed a roguish smile.

"Yes, actually. Any chance your brother is around?" He asked.

"Sam? Yeah, he's right here." Dean pointed inside and Crowley pushed past him. Dean followed Crowley, curious as to why Crowley wanted to see his brother.

"Sam. And Ruby." Crowley announced. The couple jumped apart and spun around. Their eyes widened and Ruby took a step forward, glaring at Crowley.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed. Crowley spread his arms.

"Relax, darling. I only want to talk."

"Bullshit." Sam said, much to Dean's surprise. Ruby stepped forward and punched Crowley in the face, and Sam didn't stop her. "Where is he?" Sam demanded. "Tell me!"

"You see, this is what I was talking about!"" Crowley yelled suddenly. Then, from outside reporters came rushing in. "The Winchesters are consorting with member of notorious crime gang, Ruby. They are not to be trusted!" Crowley continued. The reporters came swarming in, and Dean felt like he was drowning in a sea of confusion.

"Is this who we want to be controlling the industry? Is this who we trust with our vehicles, with our lives, even?" Crowley said. "I do not. Go. Go ask them what they have to say about this atrocity."

Dean looked over at Sam, who stared back. What was Crowley talking about? The reporters stepped up to Sam, yet to see Dean standing in the shadows.

"Well,, Mr. Winchester, is there anything you have to say?" Crowley asked. The reporters waiting, microphones at the ready. But Sam didn't respond.

* * *

 **Lawrence Journal-World Online:** Saturday, September 30, 2017 **  
**

SCANDAL SURROUNDING WINCHESTER MOTORS!

Late afternoon yesterday, it was revealed that Sam Winchester, brother to Winchester Motors CEO Dean, had been meeting with a member of international gang Hell's Demons, notorious for stealing, entering and breaking. The member, who goes by the name Ruby, has been arrested. The ensuing fight put the younger Winchester in the hospital. His status is unknown as of now.

On another note, the public is demanding that Dean Winchester step down and relinquish the company to a Mr. Crowley, the next in line. Mr. Winchester the senior has still to be heard from on the matter of his sons and company.

* * *

A week after the article was released, Dean stepped down. Sam was still in the hospital. Dean didn't even know if he was alive.

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So it's been a while since I've posted. Well, longer than I usually take. This chapter is really short and crappy and I apologize. I'm going to be taking a break from this fic, and probably won't post another chapter for a couple months. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed so far. I appreciate it!

Cas didn't check his phone for a week. He figured that was enough time for all the messages to blow over, that Dean wouldn't try to contact him anymore if he didn't respond. He was wrong.

The messages came every single day, without fail. It took all his willpower not to check them. They flooded in during the night with usually one or two in the morning. Cas didn't need to be a genius to know what that meant.

It was getting harder and harder to ignore Dean. A few times, Cas considered changing his number, but he never did. It would be like cutting off the final tie to Dean, and something in him just couldn't. Cas had thought that the flurry of concerts and rehearsals would distract him from Lawrence and Dean, but really, it turned out that Dean distracted him, and people noticed.

As he missed his entrance for the third time, the conductor took the time to set down his baton and ask what the hell was wrong with him today, Novak? Did he need to be replaced because he couldn't keep up with the big kids? And Cas shook his head and told him no, sir. He knew he was very young compared to most of the other members in the orchestra, but that didn't mean that he couldn't play as well.

"Hey, man, you okay?" A cellist named Kevin approached him after their rehearsal. Luckily, this one hadn't been open to the public, so no one but the orchestra had seen his ass whipping. Everyone was shooting him concerned looks now, whispering amongst themselves. To say that Castiel Novak had been off his game was a rare occurrence. "Castiel?" Kevin asked.

Cas pushed forward his best convincing smile. "I'm fine, Kevin. Just family issues."

"Oh." Kevin nodded. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah." Cas answered simply. Kevin seemed to notice that Cas didn't want to talk, so he left to pack up his instrument. Cas sighed, feeling a little guilty. Kevin was really one of the only friends he had here, if he could even call him that. It was one of the only things that made his job bearable. Not that he didn't like playing piano, but the director, the orchestra members, and the traveling that it required was sometimes too much.

* * *

By the time Cas reached his apartment it was late, he was tired and annoyed, and in absolutely no position to cook dinner. Luckily he had an angel waiting for him at home.

"I got pasta." Meg offered the warm bowl to him and Cas took it gratefully.

"Thanks." He said. Meg nodded. "Did you already eat?"

"Yeah, you took way too long coming home. I was hungry."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize. I'm having seconds." Meg took her bowl and they sat on the couch, flicking through channels. Meg was rooming with Cas while she found her place in New York and had promised that she would move out as soon as possible, though Cas didn't mind the company. It was nice to have another body in the apartment.

"Cas. Hello?" Meg said. "I asked how your day was." Meg said. In the background on the TV, The Princess Bride was playing.

"Oh." Cas blinked. "Yeah. It was okay, I guess. I won't have to go in tomorrow, though, so I can come with you if you need to."

Meg shrugged. "Nah, it's fine. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." She smiled at him.

"Okay." Cas sighed. Another day of moping in his apartment, then. Meg seemed to notice his reaction.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." Cas said too quickly.

Meg stared into his eyes and then narrowed hers. "Dean." She diagnosed immediately. "It's still bothering you." At Cas's surprised expression, she smirked. "I used to work in psychology, remember?"

Cas sighed. "I wish I could erase him from my memory and pretend all this had never happened. He's probably over me, anyway."

"Oh really? And is that why you have 10 unread texts from him every single day?" Meg asked him. "Have you even tried reading them?"

"No." Cas shook his head. Meg rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on. Just read at least one."

"No."

"Cas-"

"I can't go back there!" He exploded. "I can't go back to him! He's married, Meg. He's happy without me. It was never going to be serious with him. I should have known. I shouldn't have ever gone back to him in the first place. He never even told me why he left the first time and I welcomed him back with open arms! I gave him his second chance already! Hell, I don't know how long he's known that he was going to marry Bela and how long he's been cheating me and making me believe that he even cared. It's not fair to me, Meg! I shouldn't have to be afraid and I shouldn't have to keep on waiting in fear for the next time that he'll screw me over!" Cas slumped down into his seat, all the anger gone. Meg was silent.

"Okay." She said finally. "Okay. But just know that you can't move on with your life until you've let go of him."

* * *

Dean hated hospitals. The smell of cleaning agents filled his nostrils as he walked down the hall to Sam's room. He inhaled and exhaled slowly to calm his nerves and then stepped into the room.

Sam was lying on the bed, propped up with pillows. He was smiling and talking to a blonde woman wearing a nurse's uniform. One arm was in a sling, but the other was fine. The rest of his body was covered by a blanket, so he couldn't tell if anything else was injured.

Dean cleared his throat, and Sam and the nurse turned to look at him. The nurse looked at her clipboard then back up at him. "You must be Dean." She smiled and then turned around to wave at Sam. "See you later." She called, then walked out. Dean looked back at Sam and raised his eyebrows.

"You're flirting with your nurse?" He asked, sitting down in the chair next to the bed.

"I'm not flirting, Dean. Jess and I were just talking."

"Jess? So you're on first name basis, huh?" Dean smiled. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." Dean grinned.

"So, uh, how are you doing?" He gestured at Sam's body. Sam shrugged, then winced.

"Yeah, I'm doing okay, I guess. A couple bruises. Broken arm. Nothing I can't get through." He said. Dean nodded.

"How did this happen anyway? I mean, one minute Crowley was there and then the next, there was a mob of reporters in our house, angry about you and Ruby. I still don't get why they arrested her or suspect you at all. I mean, it's crazy. I don't get it. Right?" Dean looked up at his brother laughingly, but Sam frowned. He took a deep breath.

"Actually, Dean, they weren't wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what they were saying about us. Didn't you read the article?" Sam looked pained.

"What article?"

"The reason that everyone asked you to step down and that I'm sitting here and that Cas left!" Dean tensed at that name, frowning at Sam.

"But what does that have anything to do with this?" Dean asked.

"Okay, I'm going to explain something and you have to promise not to say anything until I've finished." Sam said carefully. Dean looked at him with trepidation.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's been a while since I posted but here's the new chapter. I was having a bit of a writer's block, but I'm feeling sufficiently inspired enough right now. Anyway, please enjoy and as always, let me know how it is in the comments below. Thanks!

He didn't know where to start. Dean was still staring at him. "Sam. Dude. Are you gonna tell me?" He asked. Sam took a deep breath. There was no way to ease into it.

"You know, Dad's company is pretty successful now." He started. "But it wasn't always that way, remember?" Dean nodded.

"Yeah. At the beginning, things were pretty rough. But then he got that big break sometime back." Dean said. Sam nodded.

"It wasn't him, though." Sam started.

"What do you mean, 'it wasn't him'. Can't you be a little less cryptic?" Dean interjected.

"Dean." Sam rolled his eyes.

"Right. I'll keep quiet."

"What I meant was that Dad had help with his company. He made this deal with this other guy. If Dad would give some things to the guy, then he would make the company successful again."

"Okay, so?" Dean asked.

"So the guy that Dad made the deal with was Crowley."

"Crowley?" Dean asked. Sam could practically see the thoughts running through his head. "So that's why he randomly appeared at our company and took over Bobby's position. It must have been part of the deal." Dean realized with wide eyes. "Okay, but what does this have to do with you and Ruby?" He asked. Sam paused. He would have to choose his words carefully from here. In his pause, Dean continued talking.

"I mean, how did you meet and date her without knowing that she was a criminal?" He asked.

"We weren't dating." Sam clarified immediately. Dean looked at him in confusion. He sighed. "Okay, Ruby… she approached me a few months ago, saying that Dad was mixed up in some bad stuff and that she wanted me to help find out about it. And, look, before you say anything, I was worried about Dad, and Ruby told me that she was a professional."

"And you believed her? Come on, Sam!" Dean said angrily.

"She said it would be quick, okay! One or two meetings, max. She just wanted to find out some stuff about Dad, asked basic questions. And then it turned into asking my help for finding out information, getting me to retrieve information. All I was trying to do was help him."

"And all this time, you didn't think to tell me?" Dean asked.

"You were happy, Dean. Perfectly ignorant. After everything you've been through, I didn't want you to get tangled up in this mess. Just please let me finish." Sam begged. Dean was silent, looking away.

"Dean, one of the other conditions was for you to marry Bela." At this, Dean looked surprised, looking back at Sam. "Crowley's main goal was to take over the company. I don't know why, but I do know how. He needed to get rid of you and Dad. Dad he kidnapped. And for you, he made you marry Bela because she's his daughter. She tries to cover it up, but he is her actual father. And after you stepped down from the company he received it, since only relatives to the Winchesters can control it. Dad made sure of that."

"Did you know all this time?" Dean asked. "Did you know what was going on? Did you know that Dad was using me?"

"Dean, just listen-"

"No, you listen. I get it, okay? You wanted to protect me, so you didn't tell me about Ruby. But why not this? This is about me! This is my life! You don't get to make decisions for me! If I had known this, there could have been so much that I could have done to prevent-" He broke off in anger.

"Dean…" Sam tried again.

"No, Sam. I just- I just need some time." Dean stated. He stared at his hands for a while before getting up and abruptly leaving.

Sam sighed, slumping into his bed. While that wasn't the worst argument that they had ever had, it was certainly the worst in a while.

"Tiring visit?" Jess asked, walking in.

Sam chuckled. "You could say that, yeah." Jess nodded.

"I've always noticed that between family members, visits from siblings are always the most intense."

"We had some things to clear up between us."

"Oh, really? What kinds of things?" She asked, moving to take his blood pressure.

"We had a misunderstanding right before the accident happened, and Dean and I didn't really get to talk about it until now."

"Well, that must have been tough. How'd it go?" She asked.

Sam shrugged. "Have you ever done something that… you thought you were doing it for the right reasons, but everyone else disagreed?" He asked. He was grateful to Dean for enrolling him in a secluded hospital some ways from Lawrence so that not many people at the hospital knew what happened and no one came and tried to visit him. It also meant that Jess didn't know about what he did, which was probably why she wasn't looking at him in disgust right now.

"I guess I have." Jess responded, bringing his attention back to her. "Why do you ask?"

"Just… things in my life." Sam responded, trying to be as vague as possible. "I'm just trying to make things up with Dean." He said.

Jess smiled. "Well, with your charming personality, I doubt he'll hold a grudge against you for very long. He's your family, Sam. I'm sure he loves you, no matter what you've done." She wrote somethings down on your clipboard. "Well, your vitals are okay. The doc will be by soon to check how your injuries are doing. If you need anything, just call me."

"Thanks Jess." Sam said.

"No problem."

* * *

When Lucifer first read the article, he had been had taken all his will to calm himself down and come to his senses. So what if Ruby had messed up? A smart person would have planned for it. And he had, of course. Crowley may have been celebrating now, but it was only a matter of time before he fell, and he would be the one to deliver the final blow. The old adage was indeed true; the best way of doing something was to do it yourself.

_11 years ago_

_Crowley fell to the floor with a hard thud, the impact of Lucifer's boot pushing him several feet away from the center of the hall. "You know, Crowley, I admire you." Lucifer said, stalking over to him. He pulled Crowley up by the collar. "You're very smart. You chose the_ _exact_   _time I was absent from here-" He gestured around the large warehouse. "- to come here and try to usurp me from my throne!"_

" _Your throne?" Crowley laughed. "These people were more than willing to let me take over. They loathe you, and though they're probably too frightened to tell you that, I'm not."_

_Lucifer assumer an expression of mock horror. "They loathe me? I- I had no idea! What will I ever do now that you and the other members are going to overthrow me?" He stopped and sneered at Crowley. "Oh wait. I forgot. They're not going to overthrow me. They're too scared. You see Crowley, no matter what you say to them, they won't listen. They're loyal to me, not to you, because they know what I can do to them if they disobey. It seems you still have to learn that."_

_Crowley's face froze as he realized what he meant. Lucifer clicked his tongue. "Now, now, don't be like that! Alistair won't mark you up too badly, will you Alistair?" Lucifer asked, smirking over at him. Alistair grinned all too happily._

_Crowley had seen what happened to people who went with him to the "secret room" that Lucifer kept at the back of the headquarters. Most of the time, they came out with a significant limb missing, say nothing about their insides. It wasn't a fate that Crowley was eager to receive. He needed to think of something quickly._

" _Wait. Just wait." He said to stall. Lucifer looked at him with barely disguised impatience. Time was running out. Crowley didn't like to beg, but he had no other choice now. "I'll do anything. Anything. Just-" He had to force himself to say the next part. "-please don't send me to Alistair." Hopefully Lucifer would be sufficiently intrigued and would talk further until Crowley was ready with something that would make him not get killed. Luckily, Lucifer seemed happy to toy with him further._

" _Why Crowley, are you begging to me? Tell me, what could a rat like you offer to me?" He asked laughingly. He dropped Crowley on the floor and took a seat on what the gang members called the throne._

" _Money." Crowley said, standing up and dusting off his suit. "I can provide you with money. I know you've been meaning to expand. I can help with that." He offered._

_Lucifer looked down at his hands, bored. "Anything else?" He asked._

" _Connections." Crowley said quickly. "I have connections in the United States." At this, Lucifer raised his eyebrows and leaned forward, interested._

" _Connections." He repeated. He leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "Connections. Oh, Crowley, you are very smart. You needed to spare yourself and here you are, making me an offer I can't refuse. Fine then. Tell me, what sort of connections do you have to offer?"_

_Crowley jumped at the opportunity immediately. "I will set up base for us in America, giving us a vector to expand from. Along with that, I will donate to you whatever amount of money you require for me. My only role will be to carry out your orders. Just give me some time, and I'll be able to accomplish this all." He finished. He held his breath, waiting for Lucifer's decision. If he didn't like it, that very well may have been the last sentence that he would ever utter._

_Instead, Lucifer nodded. "Not bad for a spontaneous sales pitch. But how about this? I let you do your thing for say, about 10 years. If I don't get the results and money I want, then you go poof! If I do, then you survive. Simple." Although he presented it like and alternate offer, Crowley knew he had to accept._

" _Very well, Lucifer. As you wish." He bowed and then promptly left the room._

" _The rest of you can go as well!" Lucifer called out. "Except...Lilith, come here." He beckoned._

" _Yes, my lord?" She asked._

" _You know, Lilith, since you're one of my best lieutenants, I'm going to tell you a secret." He leaned in closer to her and whispered loudly, "I don't really like Crowley." He straightened out and continued. "I'm going to send you over with Crowley along with some others. I never did intend to keep him alive, so you make sure he doesn't succeed at his task."_

_Lilith smiled maliciously. "Oh, of course. Anything you say."_

" _That's my girl!" Lucifer said._

" _What about you, my lord? What will you be doing?" Lilith asked._

" _Oh, me?" Lucifer asked. "I have 10 years to think of the most painful torture I can. Don't disappoint me Lilith. I'll be waiting for the day to come."_

" _I would never disappoint you, my lord." Lilith smiled back._

* * *

After all he had seen in the news, Bobby decided that it was time to pay the Winchesters a visit. Armed with a six-pack of beer, he marched into the Winchester house and up into Dean's bedroom, expecting him to be sulking there. He wasn't. After searching the house, Bobby found himself standing outside a music room that he didn't even know existed. Dean was sitting there, his head slumped, leaning against a piano bench. Bobby had meant for this to be somewhat of a social visit, but one look told him that he would be doing damage control. He plopped down next to Dean. Experience told him to keep silent. Dean would speak when he wanted to.

"How did you find me?" Dean finally spit out.

"Well, it was easy. I just followed the trail of depression and alcoholism and it led me right to ya." Bobby stated. Dean scowled at him.

"It's not funny, Bobby." He said, though the statement lacked conviction in Dean's weak voice.

"Well I'm sorry if I can't help laughing at ya when you look like your boyfriend just broke up with you."

Dean huffed. He had no idea. "Just go away, Bobby. I'm fine."

"Sure don't look like it to me." Bobby said.

"Like you would know what happened." Dean said bitterly, accepting a beer from Bobby.

"Let's hear it then." Bobby replied.

"What?"

"Tell me what happened and I'll be the judge of whether you should be mopin' around or not."

Dean snorted. "No. I told you I'm fine Bobby. Just go. I don't want any chick-flick moments." Bobby rolled his eyes. God knows the kid had problems with emotions. Still, he knew he was getting close to cracking Dean.

"Well, if that's what you want, then I'll be going now. Tell Sam I'll come and visit soon." Bobby got up and walked to the door slowly. Just as he was about to open it, Dean called to him.

"Wait." Bobby looked back at him.

"What?" He asked. Dean opened and closed his mouth like a fish, no words coming out. Bobby sighed and walked back towards Dean again, putting his hand on Dean's shoulder.

"Just remember I'm here for you if you need me, boy." With that, Bobby walked away. This time, Dean let him.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeeeeeeeeey. So, it's been a while since I posted, but this chapter took me a while to write. School's started and I'm going to be busy with that so updates are definitely going to be slow. Also this chapter is crap so enjoy.

“Hey Sam!” Jess called brightly, walking into the room.

“Jess. What are you doing here?” Sam asked. “Not that I don’t like your company,” He amended quickly

“Just checking up on you.” She said with a simple shrug. “How are you feeling?” She asked.

Fine, I guess. Nothing hurts, so I guess that’s good.” He replied. Jess laughed.

“Anything good on TV?” She asked, perching on his bed. He shrugged, turning it off.

“Only if you like procedural cop shows.” He replied. Jess grinned.

“They aren’t that bad.”

“It pains me to watch something that ridiculous.”

“Right.” Jess rolled her eyes. “Anyway, Sam, I’ve been meaning to ask you since you’re leaving soon. What’s you favorite dessert? I wanted to make some for you as a parting gift.” She said.

“Don’t have one.” Sam replied.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re one of those health nuts that never eat sweet things.”

“I am not. I just... don’t eat them that often.” Sam stated.

“Sam!” Jess slapped his hand lightly. “When you get out of here, I will make you a box of eclairs.” She declared.

“That’s awfully nice of you.” Dean said from the door. Jess whirled around, getting up off the bed. “Tell me, do you do that for all your patients?” Dean asked, amused. Jess shot him a look.

“What’s with the sudden visit?” Sam asked. Dean hadn’t talked to him since the _incident_ , and he didn’t believe for a second that his brother would come in here smiling widely so soon after.

“Well, Bobby wanted to visit so I drove him over.” Dean stepped aside to reveal Bobby standing behind him. Jess smiled at the way Sam’s face lit up when he saw him.

“I’ll let you guys catch up. Have a good day!” She exclaimed and exited the room.

Sam waved to her and then looked back at Dean. Although he was smiling, Sam could sense the weariness underneath. His face was gaunt and he had large bags under his eyes.

“So, how are you feeling today, Sammy? You okay?” He asked.

Sam let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, I guess, but what about you? You look horrible.”

“I’m fine.” Dean replied automatically. “I just- I’m worried about you.” He moved into the room and took a seat. Bobby walked out into the hallway, indicating to Dean that he was going to be back quickly. Dean nodded and turned back to Sam.  “Look, I know I reacted kinda badly to what you told me last time and I’m sorry about that.”

“Dean, it’s okay. I get it. I screwed up badly, alright. Can’t we just forget about it and move on? Besides, look at yourself. You’re a mess.”

“Forget about it?” Dean asked incredulously. “We can’t just ‘forget about it’, Sam. Do you know what the consequences were after what you did? We lost the company to Crowley.”

“Yeah? And whose fault is it that we’re not getting it back? Instead of sitting around on your ass and complaining about it, maybe you should actually try to do something. You’re practically a walking zombie.” Sam retorted, crossing his arms.

Dean huffed. “That is _not_ the point Sam. The point is-”

“What?” Sam asked angrily. “That I screwed up and I lost the company? I know! You can stop rubbing it in my face everytime we see each other, okay? And you can stop acting like I’m the only one that’s done something wrong. You’re no angel, Dean.”

“What would you have done if you were in my place? I had no other choice!”

“Oh, I don’t know? Maybe not agree to every stupid thing Dad says? You know the man only looks out for his own interests.”

“So what? I was just supposed to say no to him and this whole situation would be resolved? It’s not that simple, Sam.”

“Yes it is! All you had to do was not marry Bela and then this whole thing would have been fine. Honestly, I don’t know why you didn’t say no. I mean, you had Cas-”

“Do _not_ bring _him_ into this!” Dean slammed his fist onto the armrest of his chair.

Sam rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, Dean. Just deal with it like an adult for once, will you?”

“I am dealing with it like a fucking adult, and I don’t need you messing with my life, so just shut up!”

“I am not messing with your life! I’m just saying that if you had just manned up and stayed with Cas, this whole mess could have been avoided!”

“And if you had just told me about what was happening, I wouldn’t have been in that position in the first place!”

“I know, okay! What do you think I’ve been thinking about this whole time sitting in this damn hospital? Endless possibilities, every day. Endless ways that I could have prevented this situation, or at least made it better, and I can’t do any of them! And here you are, coming here and talking to _me_ about how it’s all my fault.”

“Sam, look-” Dean started.

“No, I get it, Dean. If you were half as much as a jerk to Cas, no wonder he left you.” Sam glared at his brother, watching his statement hit the mark. Dean hissed and stood up walked towards Sam’s bed.

“Don’t. You don’t know anything about what happened, and you have no fucking right-”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Bobby suddenly materialized in the doorway, holding a bunch of papers in his hands. “What on earth has gotten into you two? I could hear you from the damn hallway!” He stepped into the room.

“Bobby-” Dean started.

“No.” Bobby turned to him. “Go get me a coffee from the cafeteria.”

“But-”

“Go.” Bobby commanded him. Bobby rarely got mad, but when he did, Dean knew to listen. And he wasn’t just mad now. He was livid. Dean scowled and walked out of the room, but he stopped outside the doorway and hid behind the wall.

“Bobby, I didn’t mean-” Sam said immediately.

“I know, boy. I know.” Bobby replied. There was a silence while Bobby sat down, and then Sam spoke.

“Has- has he been like this the whole time?” He asked.

“Don’t know. Only visited him myself a couple days ago.”

“Bobby, I’m sorry. I mean- I didn’t think it would get this out of hand. It’s just that what Dean said was right. This whole mess, it’s all my fault, and I don’t- I don’t know what to do to make it better.”

“Sam, you can’t take all this guilt on yourself. It ain’t gonna help anyone. And you know, I heard some of the things you said to Dean, and frankly, I gotta agree with you. He’s not himself lately, and-” Bobby broke off and sighed. “You two can’t sort out this mess alone.”

“I wanna fix it, Bobby. With Dean and with this whole other mess too.”

“I know, boy. I know.”

* * *

 

Meg’s feet were starting to ache.She had been walking around stores for almost 2 hours now. The main purpose of her excursion into the city had been to go to her job interview, but of course, she had blown it (Something about her being too “edgy”). But it didn’t matter. She hadn’t like the vibe the guy was giving off anyway and if he thought that she was too edgy he could go fuck himself.

Instead of going directly back to Cas’s apartment, she had decided to go and buy him a gift. The least she could do for him. But finding a suitable gift for Cas was easier said than done, and now, after 2 hours, she was heading home. She had finally decided on a watch, and had even gotten it engraved with his last name. Then, for shits and giggles, she had stuck a tiny unicorn sticker on the band.

Walking home, she hoped he would like the gift. She hadn’t ever seen him wear a watch, so she assumed-

Meg screamed. Or at least, she tried to. It was kind of hard with one hand covering her mouth, while another pulled her from the sidewalk into an alley. She struggled to get free, but it was no use.

Meg looked back at the sidewalk, but no one seemed to have noticed her disappearance. She tried to get free again, but the man (or at least, she assumed he was a man by the size and strength of his hands) held her tight. He chuckled.

“Still feisty, Meg? Just relax. I only need one tiny bit of information and one small favor and then you’ll be free to go. Tell me darling, where does Castiel Novak live?”

* * *

 

It was easier to find Dean in the Winchester house the second time. Bobby followed the faint strains of a piano to the music room where Dean was playing a lively melody that didn’t match his mood.

“Didn’t know you could play.” Bobby said, causing Dean to slam the lid shut and whirl around.

“It’s nothing.” He replied, shrugging. “So why are you here this time? Come to rip me another one on behalf of Sam?” He asked with snark. Bobby snorted, still leaning against the doorframe.

“No. I ain’t stupid and I sure as hell ain’t gonna get involved in the mess of yours.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I wanted to try to talk some sense into that daddy of yours and see if at least he could help with this mess he created, but he ain’t here, is here?” Bobby asked Dean. He shook his head.

“I haven’t seen him for over a week and-” Dean swallowed. “I’m worried. Which is ridiculous, because this isn’t even the longest he’s been gone, but with everything that’s going on, I don’t know what’s happened to him. I mean, it’s not like he’s worrying about us right now. We could be dead for all he knows, and he wouldn’t give a shit.” Dean said bitterly.

“Dean, look at me.” Bobby said, and Dean whipped his head up at the intensity of his tone. “Let me tell you one thing. Ain’t nobody in the world who’s gonna help you if ya keep pitying yourself. Your daddy may have controlled your every move up ‘till now, but you’re the one in charge right now, and you gotta decide what you’re gonna do.”

Dean sighed and nodded, resting his face on the lid of the piano. All his life, his father had dictated what he would say, where he would go, who he would be friends with. And as embarrassing as it was to admit it, he didn’t know what to do without his father directing him. Dean banged his fist on the piano bench in frustration. Sam had been right.

Dean’s phone buzzed beside him, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned it on, checking his notifications. There were a couple old messages from Bobby and Sam, but the newest one was the one that made him jerk upright. It was from Cas.

* * *

 

Castiel walked to his apartment door and unlocked. He was tired, hungry, and hoped to god that Meg had made something good for dinner. He opened the door and flipped on the lights.

“Hello,” came a low voice that was most definitely not Meg. Castiel blinked in surprise at the man in a black suit who was lounging in his favorite chair. The man stood up and pulled something out of his coat pocket and showed it to Cas.

“Agent Crowley. Your wife said you’d be home soon.” He put his badge away and extended his hand for Cas to shake.

“What? I-I don’t have a wife.” He stood there dumbfounded. When it became clear that Cas wasn’t going to shake his hand, Crowley retracted it and cleared his throat.

“No? There was a woman here a while ago, short with dark hair. She let me in.”

“That’s not my-” Cas sighed and broke off. “Where is she now?”

The agent shrugged. “She left about 5 minutes ago saying you would be home soon. Very sweet woman.”

Cas frowned. “She left?” Crowley nodded and gestured towards the table.

“She did leave something for you, though.” He pointed towards a box. Cas glanced over at it and then looked back at Crowley.

“Right. Is there anything I can do for you now, Agent?” He asked, still uneasy about Meg. She wouldn’t have just left like that, but he did know that she had an uneasy past with the police. She hadn’t gone into the details, but she had said that they made her skittish.

“Castiel Novak, correct? I wanted to ask you some questions about your brother, Lucifer Novak.”

“Luc?” Cas asked. His mind flew back to the last time he had seen his brother. It was a fuzzy memory, seeing as he had only been 12 at the time. “I haven’t seen him in over 15 years.” Cas replied. “What did you want to ask me about?”

“Your brother has been involved in some illegal drug and gang activity, and we were wondering if he had contacted your asking for money.”

“No.” Castiel said firmly. “I haven’t seen or contacted him for several years, nor has he called me. I doubt he even has my number.”

Crowley nodded. “Well, thank you for your time then.” He handed Cas a card. “If anything happens, please call me.”

“Of course.” Cas replied. He stepped aside so the agent could walk to the door, but instead Crowley bumped into him.

“Oh, terribly sorry.” Crowley said, righting himself. “Thank you once more for your cooperation, Castiel.” Crowley smiled at Cas, and then walked out the door.

Cas sighed when he left and looked at the clock. It was only 8:30. He decided to call Meg in half an hour if she hadn’t come home by then. He turned to look at the box on the table that Meg had left him. It was small, wrapped in a glittery pink bow. He carefully peeled it off and opened the lid of the box.

Inside was an exquisite watch. He took it out to examine it closer. The back of the face of the watch was engraved with his last name, and the watch had a gold and silver wristband. He smiled. It was thoughtful of Meg to get him a gift like this. As he put the watch back into the box, he noticed a small piece of paper stick out of a corner. He frowned and pulled it out of the box, unfolding it.

On the tiny scrap of newspaper were three words, underlined twice and scrawled in Meg’s loopy handwriting. _Don’t trust Crowley._

* * *

 

Crowley walked down the sidewalk, smiling to himself. From his pocket, he pulled out the phone he had snatched from Castiel’s pocket when he had bumped into him. He typed in the number password, Castiel’s birthday, and the phone unlocked just as he expected. He snorted. It was almost too easy.

Sighing, Crowley opened the messages app and scrolled to the bottom. He was fairly sure that they hadn’t talked in several months. His eyes brightened when he found the name and he tapped on it, sending three messages.

 

**C: I need you to come to NY immediately.**

**C: It’s urgent. I need your help.**

**C: Please Dean.**

 

He sent an address after that, then threw the phone into the road. It was quickly run over by a yellow taxi cab. Crowley smiled as he watched it become crushed into smithereens. He would be waiting eagerly for Dean’s arrival.


End file.
